Jeepers! Halloween Weekend is only a week away and you’re still not dressed up but I’m sure you have lots of places to go. By now, all the costume stores are teeming with scrambling shoppers but all the good stuff is sold out!

Fear not, hopefully this’ll help:

Costumes in a Hurry
For one-stop costume shopping to take the hassle out of searching for the right this and the perfect that, ferget thrift stores and try Ursula’s Costumes in Santa Monica or Aahs everywhere.

Ursula’s Costumes Incorporated It’s best to go to Ursula’s midday like lunchtime since the closer we get to Halloween, the longer the line outside the store after work gets. Inside there are aisles and aisles packed with a variety of packaged costumes to choose from–all with pictures on the outside so you know what you get. Ursula’s also has a wide selection of wigs, props, accessories, and even elaborate costume rentals in the back room to choose from. The only thing missing are shoes.

2516 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90403-4616
(310) 582-8230

Aahs
Aahs, particularly the one on Wilshire in Brentwood, has the same packaged costumes deal and you actually get to try them on (with the salesperson’s help) before you buy. However, I don’t know how this will work when the aisles get more crowded closer to the holiday. I noticed that for the women’s costumes, Aahs places matching accessories like petticoats and hosiery next to the costumes for your convenience. And not only are they separated into men and women sections but by theme, i.e. storybook outfits, school girls, nuns, princesses, etc. There are even costume suggestions where the staff puts outfits together around the store. My favorite? Willy Wonka. Gotta love those bug-eyed swirly sunglasses.

3223 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90403-2332
(310) 829-1807

Hot Topic Or if everything is sold out and you’re absolutely desperate for a costume, go Goth–at the minimum it’s black clothes and black kohl around the eyes. And where do Goth kids go 365 days of the year? Hot Topic. This store always has the makeup, hair dye, spiked cuffs, fake tattoos, and black everything to help you pull this off. They even have shoes! (They sold out of the $30 platform mary janes I was looking for but I was able to find a better replacement in black knee-high boots for only 50 bucks.) You could be a Goth dark angel, Goth vampire, Goth prince/princess, or the Japanese Goth equivalent, a Harajuku kid. Click here to find a store in your area.

Hollywood and Highland
6801 Hollywood Blvd. Ste #345
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323) 462-2590

Santa Monica Place
220 Santa Monica Place
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 260-8617

Universal City Walk
1000 Universal Center Dr. Ste. 161
Universal City, CA 91608
(818) 762-5633

Hair! Makeup!
Easy-peasy, hit a really well-stocked beauty supply store in your neighborhood if you want to avoid crowded costume shops and just take care of your Halloween do. Find a beauty supply store that has the temporary hair dyes, styling product and hair accessories. Some even sell wigs, hair pieces and hair extensions. I was able to find a natural-looking wiglet to add some oomph to my hairstyle in a beauty store off Lincoln for a reasonable price.

For makeup, check out your local drug store for cheap and fast or Sephora where you can try on the makeup first. MAC has the most outrageous colors ranging from lime green eye shadow to black-purple lipstick. Or you can still try and schedule an appointment with a MAC counter the day of your party to get your face done by a professional makeup artist. The MAC Web site even has Halloween looks complete with makeup suggestions that you can print out and bring to the store.