Change one thing about me
May 11, 2012 1:27 PM Subscribe
Help me change one thing about my appearance
I'm going to a theme party, and the theme is "Change one thing". People are dyeing or changing their hair, wearing uncharacteristic clothes, etc. I wanted to do hair or tinted contacts, but my problem is I have darker coloring (brown hair, dark brown eyes, dark but not black skin), so big appearance changes are harder. Does anyone have experience with temporary hair dyes or high quality tinted contacts? Any other ideas would be appreciated as well.
I'm going to a theme party, and the theme is "Change one thing". People are dyeing or changing their hair, wearing uncharacteristic clothes, etc. I wanted to do hair or tinted contacts, but my problem is I have darker coloring (brown hair, dark brown eyes, dark but not black skin), so big appearance changes are harder. Does anyone have experience with temporary hair dyes or high quality tinted contacts? Any other ideas would be appreciated as well.
Response by poster: Should have specified I'm a guy. Not that there's anything wrong with that
posted by nickhb at 1:31 PM on May 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by nickhb at 1:31 PM on May 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
Pale tinted contacts are opaque- well, obviously the bit that goes over your iris is clear, but the rest is opaque. You should definitely do contacts and not hair dye- everyone will be doing hair dye. And this way, people will walk up to you, go "wait you didn't change anything," and then freak right out when they see your scary ice-blue or purple or whatever eyes.
They are safe (assuming you're only gonna wear them this one night), but you'll want to practice taking them in and out. I'd also suggest bringing a lens case with fluid, in case you decide they're too uncomfortable halfway through the night.
I know that Lenscrafters carries a line of colored lenses (not necessarily prescription), so you might try them. Bound to be safer than whatever Hot Topic sells...
posted by showbiz_liz at 1:32 PM on May 11, 2012 [3 favorites]
They are safe (assuming you're only gonna wear them this one night), but you'll want to practice taking them in and out. I'd also suggest bringing a lens case with fluid, in case you decide they're too uncomfortable halfway through the night.
I know that Lenscrafters carries a line of colored lenses (not necessarily prescription), so you might try them. Bound to be safer than whatever Hot Topic sells...
posted by showbiz_liz at 1:32 PM on May 11, 2012 [3 favorites]
What about an obviously fake-colored wig? I'm thinking platinum blonde or Ronald MacDonald red.
posted by Stephanie Duy at 1:33 PM on May 11, 2012
posted by Stephanie Duy at 1:33 PM on May 11, 2012
Oh, and you could try fake lashes too.
posted by showbiz_liz at 1:33 PM on May 11, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by showbiz_liz at 1:33 PM on May 11, 2012 [4 favorites]
Is your hair long enough to weave brightly colored extensions into it? I have also seen tutorials on the web for coloring your hair with chalk and a flat iron.
posted by matildaben at 1:34 PM on May 11, 2012
posted by matildaben at 1:34 PM on May 11, 2012
A guy I knew in school had the best halloween costume ever by sewing a third leg onto the side of his pants. He stuffed and weighted it so that it swung along with the opposite leg when he walked. Subtle, but impressive.
posted by Rock Steady at 1:34 PM on May 11, 2012 [5 favorites]
posted by Rock Steady at 1:34 PM on May 11, 2012 [5 favorites]
Go bald?
posted by travelwithcats at 1:34 PM on May 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by travelwithcats at 1:34 PM on May 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
Are wigs an option?
I've seen white-tinted contacts, which might work for you (and be SUPER CREEPY).
Outside of eyes/hair, I would wear a hook hand or give myself a (cotton-and-pantyhose) fake extra arm.
posted by troika at 1:34 PM on May 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
I've seen white-tinted contacts, which might work for you (and be SUPER CREEPY).
Outside of eyes/hair, I would wear a hook hand or give myself a (cotton-and-pantyhose) fake extra arm.
posted by troika at 1:34 PM on May 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
Boobs. Seriously, borrow a bra and stuff it. Wear whatever you ordinarily wear. Watch people be very confused.
posted by restless_nomad at 1:37 PM on May 11, 2012 [25 favorites]
posted by restless_nomad at 1:37 PM on May 11, 2012 [25 favorites]
Giant salami down one leg of your pants, a-la This Is Spinal Tap.
posted by bondcliff at 1:38 PM on May 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by bondcliff at 1:38 PM on May 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
Have breasts. Wear a bra with cutlets (google, you'll figure it out, Target sells 'em).
posted by thinkpiece at 1:39 PM on May 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by thinkpiece at 1:39 PM on May 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
Dang!
posted by thinkpiece at 1:39 PM on May 11, 2012
posted by thinkpiece at 1:39 PM on May 11, 2012
Eye patch. Parrot optional.
posted by MonkeyToes at 1:40 PM on May 11, 2012
posted by MonkeyToes at 1:40 PM on May 11, 2012
Padded ass. Give yourself a huge man-booty.
posted by zippy at 1:40 PM on May 11, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by zippy at 1:40 PM on May 11, 2012 [3 favorites]
How much time do you have before the party? Is there time to grow a mustache/beard/fearsome muttonchops or the like? (do a goatee & you could be your evil self!)
posted by smirkette at 1:41 PM on May 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by smirkette at 1:41 PM on May 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
Or, wear women's wedge sandals. Not too difficult to adapt to; def different!
posted by IAmBroom at 1:41 PM on May 11, 2012
posted by IAmBroom at 1:41 PM on May 11, 2012
Draw on a John Waters pencil moustache?
French manicure? Glittery pedicure? (added bonus of soothing foot massage!)
posted by elizardbits at 1:43 PM on May 11, 2012
French manicure? Glittery pedicure? (added bonus of soothing foot massage!)
posted by elizardbits at 1:43 PM on May 11, 2012
Tattoo arm sleeves? Or a really classy giant bald eagle and flag drawn across your back?
posted by valoius at 1:55 PM on May 11, 2012
posted by valoius at 1:55 PM on May 11, 2012
Attach a steering wheel to your crotch. If people ask, tell them you're a pirate. When they look at you all confused, point down at it and let out with a "YARR, 'tis drivin' me nuts!"
posted by jquinby at 1:56 PM on May 11, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by jquinby at 1:56 PM on May 11, 2012 [4 favorites]
I used to wear a colored contact in a dark brown eye. I used the disposable prescription ones, which might work well for this: cheaper than buying a set for long-term use, available without vision correction, and the optometrist always let me try colors on before I picked. They make a special set for dark eyes.
This was 15+ years ago, but I had the best visibility results with violet (blue was almost as good).
posted by Gianna at 2:02 PM on May 11, 2012
This was 15+ years ago, but I had the best visibility results with violet (blue was almost as good).
posted by Gianna at 2:02 PM on May 11, 2012
The salami!
posted by Heart_on_Sleeve at 2:18 PM on May 11, 2012
posted by Heart_on_Sleeve at 2:18 PM on May 11, 2012
Fake lashes. Fake lashes would be awesome - a fairly subtle thing, slightly unexpected on the gender front (but not as dramatic/challenging as going in drag for someone who doesn't usually do that). You could get an unusual color like blue, you could get some with sparkles in them, oh, the possibilities are endless. But get several sets and practice first.
posted by Frowner at 2:19 PM on May 11, 2012 [7 favorites]
posted by Frowner at 2:19 PM on May 11, 2012 [7 favorites]
Someone upthread suggested bright lipstick, to which you responded that you're a guy. Which is a great reason to go with bright lipstick!
posted by Sara C. at 2:50 PM on May 11, 2012
posted by Sara C. at 2:50 PM on May 11, 2012
I have no personal experience with contacts, but I've definitely known seen dark-featured people wear ice blue contacts. It was successful in recoloring their eyes and was very striking.
posted by geegollygosh at 2:53 PM on May 11, 2012
posted by geegollygosh at 2:53 PM on May 11, 2012
Attach a wig or hair extensions inside your shirt so it looks like you have a massive tuft of chest hair peeking out. I did this once for an 80's themed party and creeped out a few people who thought it was real. Be sure to post pictures!
posted by Hermes32 at 3:04 PM on May 11, 2012
posted by Hermes32 at 3:04 PM on May 11, 2012
Ordain yourself, and wear appropriate garments. Yes, you too can be pope!
posted by Sunburnt at 3:08 PM on May 11, 2012
posted by Sunburnt at 3:08 PM on May 11, 2012
Wheelchair
Carry a cane. Limp.
These could cause some embarrassment if there is another guest who uses a wheelchair or a cane.
Is there a good costume shop near you? One Halloween I wore an enormous fake nose as part of my Mr. Burns costume. It was pretty easy to do and not that horrible to put up with, just a little spirit gum and latex, and a lot of foundation. Huge fake eyebrows or a goatee would be pretty easy too. ("I'm the evil nickhb.")
Easier ideas: bow tie, doo rag, sweater vest, Daisy Dukes, Zubaz Pants, muscle tee, or Sansabelt slacks pulled up to your navel.
posted by hydrophonic at 3:23 PM on May 11, 2012
Carry a cane. Limp.
These could cause some embarrassment if there is another guest who uses a wheelchair or a cane.
Is there a good costume shop near you? One Halloween I wore an enormous fake nose as part of my Mr. Burns costume. It was pretty easy to do and not that horrible to put up with, just a little spirit gum and latex, and a lot of foundation. Huge fake eyebrows or a goatee would be pretty easy too. ("I'm the evil nickhb.")
Easier ideas: bow tie, doo rag, sweater vest, Daisy Dukes, Zubaz Pants, muscle tee, or Sansabelt slacks pulled up to your navel.
posted by hydrophonic at 3:23 PM on May 11, 2012
Go someplace that does traditional henna tattooing and have your hands/forearms/upper arms done. It looks amazing on lots of different skin tones and would be more comfortable to wear for a party than unfamiliar contacts or costumes. You do see women most often decorated this way, but I stood behind a guy in a coffee shop line who had henna tattoos all over his arms and it was sexy. It fades over a couple of weeks--shorter if you bathe/work-out more.
posted by rumposinc at 3:54 PM on May 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by rumposinc at 3:54 PM on May 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
Um, please don't pretend to be disabled for the sake of a party. Love the eyelashes suggestion, myself.
posted by woodvine at 4:13 PM on May 11, 2012 [5 favorites]
posted by woodvine at 4:13 PM on May 11, 2012 [5 favorites]
Shave your eyebrows off. People will know something's different, but it'll take a few minutes to figure out what.
posted by Perodicticus potto at 4:20 PM on May 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Perodicticus potto at 4:20 PM on May 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
If you're hairy, get your brows tweezed professionally.
posted by Feisty at 5:09 PM on May 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Feisty at 5:09 PM on May 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
Find a cheap pair of reading glasses at the drug store and pop the lenses out. If you've got time, ordering "frame only" from Zenni Optical (it's a small checkbox in the upper right of the order page) will get you cheap frames with basic plastic lenses, no diffraction.
posted by hydrophonic at 5:35 PM on May 11, 2012
posted by hydrophonic at 5:35 PM on May 11, 2012
Add fangs or other false teeth. Add hot pink/lime green/etc. hair extensions. Add fake facial hair. Add false eyelashes or eye shadow. Add curly elf shoes....
posted by skye.dancer at 8:33 PM on May 11, 2012
posted by skye.dancer at 8:33 PM on May 11, 2012
Something involving stick-on Googly eyes.
posted by quivering_fantods at 10:30 PM on May 11, 2012
posted by quivering_fantods at 10:30 PM on May 11, 2012
If you're looking for contacts that will show up on dark eyes, I really recommend color max lenses. They're extremely opaque and show up very vibrantly. I have light blue eyes, and they show up as well on me as they did on one of my old room mates' eyes, and he was asian. In regards to your party, I think this would create a really striking difference that people would absolutely notice.
I usually order them from this site. (They call them "ambition" lenses but they are the color max brand I mentioned.) Over the years I've bought every color on there except for the violet and gray, so let me know if you want any example photos of them IRL and I can memail you them; however, the colors are very close to how they appear on the site.
I've done a lot of costuming, so I've spent a lot of time trying out different brands of contacts and have a pretty good grasp by now on will or won't actually show up. Most contact lenses available through your eye doctor (acuvue and the like) are made for every day use and will usually either show up not at all or very subtly. If you're looking to make an impression, theatrical lenses are 100% the way to go. The sort of lens I linked above is not usually available from your eye doctor, which usually has a far more limited selection (yellow slit cat eye lenses and the like, more for halloween). At roughly $40 including shipping, the colormax lenses will likely be about half the price of anything available from your eye doctor, and cooler looking to boot.
posted by Estraven at 10:51 PM on May 11, 2012
I usually order them from this site. (They call them "ambition" lenses but they are the color max brand I mentioned.) Over the years I've bought every color on there except for the violet and gray, so let me know if you want any example photos of them IRL and I can memail you them; however, the colors are very close to how they appear on the site.
I've done a lot of costuming, so I've spent a lot of time trying out different brands of contacts and have a pretty good grasp by now on will or won't actually show up. Most contact lenses available through your eye doctor (acuvue and the like) are made for every day use and will usually either show up not at all or very subtly. If you're looking to make an impression, theatrical lenses are 100% the way to go. The sort of lens I linked above is not usually available from your eye doctor, which usually has a far more limited selection (yellow slit cat eye lenses and the like, more for halloween). At roughly $40 including shipping, the colormax lenses will likely be about half the price of anything available from your eye doctor, and cooler looking to boot.
posted by Estraven at 10:51 PM on May 11, 2012
If you're unmarried in real life, wear a wedding ring.
posted by nebulawindphone at 12:10 AM on May 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by nebulawindphone at 12:10 AM on May 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
My coloring is a lot like yours. A few times, I've wanted to have very temporarily light hair. There are spray "dyes" at costume shops that just get applied like hairspray and wash out the next day. Here is what my black hair looks like when it's gold.
posted by knile at 12:29 AM on May 13, 2012
posted by knile at 12:29 AM on May 13, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by SweetTeaAndABiscuit at 1:30 PM on May 11, 2012