Costume masks are a common Halloween accessory but, unfortunately, most don’t meet the standards for face coverings recommended to help stop the spread of COVID-19. The good news is that it’s relatively easy to incorporate a proper face-covering into your Halloween attire. Here are some ideas.

1. Choose a costume mask you can wear over your face covering

If you do plan to wear a costume mask with your Halloween ensemble, then you can easily and comfortably wear a standard face-covering underneath. Plenty of costumes call for a full face mask which can hide the fact that you are wearing a cloth or medical mask as well. Consider costumes like Spider-Man, Darth Vadar, Iron Man, or a simple and ever-classic ghost. Just make sure that your costume mask doesn’t hinder the fit of your face covering, which should continue to fully cover your nose and mouth.

2. Make your face mask part of your costume

Since you are going to be wearing a face mask anyway, why not make it a part of your costume? Plenty of fictional characters or professions that you can dress up as have a mask as part of their uniform or outfit. For example, you could wear a surgical mask and some scrubs for an instant doctor or nurse costume. Or, if you’d rather be a cowboy or a bandit, then a bandana that covers your nose, mouth, and chin will really sell the look.

3. Plan your makeup around your face mask

Just because you are wearing a mask this year, it doesn’t mean you have to forego face makeup. Simply choose a mask to go with the look you want to create! So, instead of painting on a pink nose and whiskers to go as a cat, consider finding a mask that already has your desired design. There are sure to be plenty of skull, monster, vampire, and zombie masks available as well. With half of your face taken care of already, all you have to worry about is making your eye makeup shine.

4. Wear a face mask with a Halloween motif

Even if you aren’t one for dressing up, or if you have chosen a costume that isn’t easy to coordinate with a face mask, you can still wear a mask with some Halloween flair. Choose a mask decorated with ghosts, jack-o’-lanterns, witches, black cats, spiders, or bats. If you’re feeling crafty, decorating a mask with these spooky motifs yourself can be a fun Halloween project. Just source some felt online or from a craft store, cut the shapes out, and attach them to your mask.

If you need to wear a face-covering due to COVID-19 this Halloween, then why not make the best of it? Have some fun shopping for or making a mask that gets you into the spirit of the holiday and makes this unique Halloween a memorable one.