Any fans of The Walking Dead? The boyfriend and I are pretty addicted to it. One of the best (and worst) things about the show is the terrifyingly gruesome zombie makeup and costuming. I have a love-hate relationship with it. I love how they are able to get it to look so real. And I hate how it looks so real. Eww!

Especially since there are actual licensed character costumes, I’m imagining there will be quite a few walking dead staggering up to Halloween parties this year. So I have this tip to share with you ladies: if you want to be a convincing zombie, ditch the pretty. I’ve seen a number of zombie costumes where the makeup is on point, but the hair is still pretty. Don’t get me wrong, at Stylebell we’re all about pretty hair, but your zombie costume is not the place for it!

We spend so much time trying to make our hair look fabulous. What are good ways to un-fabulous our ‘do for Halloween?

1. Don’t Wash Your Hair. The best way to zombie-fy your hair is to start with dirty hair. Leave it for a couple days if you can manage. Tie it up in a ponytail or bun to keep it off your face and neck while it’s greasy. Might want to wear a hat.

2. Abuse Your Products. Over-use your texturizers and leave-in conditioners. Gel, styling wax, pomade, and hair spray are all great for creating strange, gross textures when overused.

3. Baby Powder. How many zombies have shiny hair? Shake some baby powder into your mane and scrunch it into your roots, and comb it through the length of your hair with your fingers. Remember, abuse your products – use more than you normally would just to freshen up your hair. A grey cast in this case is totally fine. Powder makeup works for this too, but baby powder is cheaper and smells nice.

4. Tease, Baby, Tease. You know how when you’re backcombing your hair it makes a horrible rat’s nest that you then have to smooth out? Back comb away, anywhere on your head. The rats nestier, the better. It’s also quite convincing to form a big rat’s nest on the top layer of your hair.

5. Props. If you really want extra credit, you can add extras to your zombie hair. Smear a little of your fake blood in it (zombies are messy eaters), maybe add a twig or a leaf or two that got stuck while you were wandering the woods.

If you follow these tips, I guarantee no one will accuse you of being too pretty to be a zombie! After you scare the pants off everyone at the Halloween party, be kind to your hair and use a clarifying shampoo like Davines Solu Refreshing Solution to wash out all that junk. Your hair will thank you!