Kelly Bensimon on last-minute costumes and cool Halloween makeup

For those who want to get spooky this Halloween and aren't in the mood to mock Miley Cyrus or Robin Thicke, there are tons of great last-minute costumes. My advice is buy something unique that you can wear again.

My go-to is the vintage store Allan & Suzi (237 Centre St., 212-724-7445). You can purchase a great '70s metal halter and go Studio 54 for Halloween, and then wear it next Saturday night under a blazer.

If you want to create your own makeup look, use one of these two great ideas from M·A·C Cosmetics senior artist Victor Cembellin:

1. To create an array of creepy cuts, scrapes or even vampire bite marks, start by applying M·A·C Pink Swoon Powder Blush, which will give the effect of inflamed skin around a cut. Next, to emulate a fresh splice in the skin, use a combination of M·A·C Russian Red Lipstick and M·A·C Chestnut Lip Pencil. For finishing touches, apply a sheer layer of M·A·C Clear Lipglass on top of your scrapes to replicate the texture of blood. Ouch!

2. Need a last-minute costume in a flash? The pin-up girl can be brought to life with just three items. Use M·A·C Penultimate Liner in Rapid Black to create sexy cat-eye liner. Don't forget to add your beauty mark, too! Then, apply M·A·C Pink Opal Pigment on top of any pink blush to lend a doll-like quality to the cheeks. Finish off with M·A·C Lipstick in Ruby Woo for the ultimate retro red lip.