Tattoo Designs for Life: Betty Boop

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Betty Boop Costume To Express the Vixen in A Woman

Betty Boop is a character created by Grim Natwick, and first emerged in the 1930s by Fleischer Studios and Paramount Pictures. She is one of the most famous and iconic animated female characters of all time, and fans still love to don a Betty Boop costume every chance they get. Her first appearance ever was on August 9, 1930 in the cartoon titled Dizzy Dishes, and was Fleischman's sixth installment of the series Talkartoons.

Betty Boop is a well-known sex symbol, even up to present day. While this became a problem in the character's earlier years due to the National Legion of Decency and the Production code that came out in 1933, a Betty Boop costume is more than alright in today's era, and is even a little bit more conservative than other, sexier Halloween costumes that are popular today.

The enticing thing about the Betty Boop costume, and one of the reasons that it is still so popular today, is due to the fact that Betty Boop depicts a classy sexiness that isn't very apparent anymore today. Her look is easy to copy, hence people often refer to her when looking for a quick fix for a costume need. These are the things that you will need to properly copy Betty Boop's popular outfits throughout the years:

The Dress – you can choose between two colors for Betty Boop's dress. Although her dress was originally thought of as being black because the cartoon was first released before cartoons came colored, Betty Boop's creators dressed her in a bright red dress when she finally did appear in a Technicolor episode. The characteristics of the dress in a Betty Boop costume must be low cut and strapless, and must be body hugging in the curvier areas of your body. This dress is also best when plain and not printed at all. If your dress is long, a slit over the left leg, extending up to the upper thigh, is also recommended.
The Shoes – get a pair of high-heeled pumps to pair along with the shoes. These shoes must be the same color as the dress, so either black or red.
The Jewelry – big hoop earrings are essential for your Betty Boop costume, because they were characteristic of Betty Boop herself. Wear a couple bangles on each wrist. Both the earrings and the bangles should also be the same color as the dress and shoes.
The Stockings – you can actually opt not to wear fishnet stockings for this costumes, but if you're going for a sexier and more alluring Betty Boop, rather than the more innocent one when she first appeared, wearing any type of fishnet stockings is a plus.
The Garter – this garter is also essential to your Betty Boop costume, because that item was one of the things that made Betty Boop such a sexual character, despite her large, baby-like head and little-girl voice. A garter that is the same color as the dress is also preferred, although wearing either black or red is acceptable.

Aside from the dress, Betty Boop's makeup is also very characteristic and fun to copy. You will certainly want to have the right makeup, because the right dress is simply not enough to pull off your Betty Boop costume. Here is a short tutorial on how to accomplish the Betty Boop look:

Before putting on your makeup, make sure that your face is properly washed, toned, and moisturized. After giving your moisturizer a few minutes to be absorbed by the skin of your face, apply a lot of primer all over your face, as this will be essential so that the make up Will Not run throughout the night. This is especially important if you are planning to wear your Betty Boop costume to a big Halloween party, so that you are sure that humidity and/or sweat Will Not ruin your make up.
Apply a generous layer of foundation all over your face, even your lips. You need to look a little bit too white to pull off the classic look that this costume requires. Make sure to cover all dark spots and blemishes! Betty Boop had perfect skin, and while this is next to impossible in real life, it is easy to imitate with the right foundation.
Line your eyebrows with dark black eyeliner. Betty Boop's eyebrows are long and curved downwards, so look at a few pictures so that you can copy it precisely.
Your eye shadow will actually depend on what color you would like, but it's best to stick to either neutral tones or a light pink tone. Trace the top line of your eyelid with the eye shadow using a brush to get a more accurately spread out line. There are also specialized Betty Boop eye shadows that are sold in specialty stores, so you can opt to buy those as well.
One of the most essential parts of your makeup that will give a more authentic feel to your Betty Boop costume are fake eyelashes. Betty Boop had extremely long eyelashes that aren't possible in real life, so pick ones that are long with separated lashes, both for your upper and lower eyelashes.
Draw a heart shaped lip in the middle of your mouth with red lipstick liner. Fill this in with a robust red colored lip shade. You can choose to shade in your entire mouth, but the more authentic look is the smaller, heart shaped one.

As for copying Betty's hair, this is easier done when you already have short, black hair. You simple have to make large curls all around your head. Make sure to spray on a lot of hair spray so that it stays curled all night long. If your hair is too different from hers, if you are blonde and long haired for example, it may be better for you to purchase or fashion a wig that is resembling Betty's locks.

And there you have it! You are now ready to go around town looking like this world famous vixen. Before you head out, don't forget the most important part of your Betty Boop costume: the attitude!

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Just in time for Halloween.

Betty Boop, MD