Scare your friends with a Grim Reaper costume.
People struggle to come up with the perfect Halloween costume each year. Once they decide between a humorous, sexy or scary look, they still have endless possibilities from which to choose. Death makes a good scary costume, and the traditional Grim Reaper look, with its skeleton body and black robe, personifies death.
Black Clothing
One of the simplest Grim Reaper costumes involves an all-black design. It's dark, creepy and ideal for this character. And, the lack of an expression--or a face at all--will put those around you on edge.
Obtain a black, faceless, see-through mask from a store, or simply paint your face solid black. A robe with a hood that covers much of the face will increase the illusion that you don't have one, making the look scarier. Wear black clothes under the robe, which should make contact with the floor. Wear black boots and black gloves to complete the ensemble.
Skeleton Face Paint
To show your face as the Grim Reaper, you will need someone skilled at face painting. Creating a realistic skull face out of costume makeup is a challenge, but if done correctly will make for an impressive look.
Refer to an anatomy book while using black and white grease paint to recreate a human skull design. Use cotton swabs to blend the black and white, to give the illusion of shadows, instead of hard contrasts that will look more clown-like. Shade your eyes so that they look like empty sockets when your eyes are closed. Draw skeleton's teeth onto your lips.
Apply lotion to your face before the makeup, to make application smoother and clean up easy.
Scythe
The Grim Reaper is incomplete without his trusty scythe. Anyone dressing as the character for Halloween should have one. Halloween costume and supply stores have the plastic version of this tool, or you can make a homemade version. Cut out the shape of a scythe blade from cardboard and wrap it neatly in aluminum foil, taping the foil in place. A thick, PVC pipe spray-painted black can serve as a handle. Attach to scythe using duct tape. With this accessory, your Grim Reaper will truly be complete.
