You probably have a friend that swears they once summoned Bloody Mary. You may even say so yourself. The story goes that if you say her name in a mirror three times, Bloody Mary will appear. You can read a little more about the Bloody Mary scary story in this collection of campfire stories and urban legends. Is the legend true? That's easy enough to find out, isn't it? Unless you're scared...
The Legend
has its roots in a Halloween divination ritual, where a mirror and a candle could be used to see your future. Mary I of England was known as Bloody Mary, but it's unclear if she's the same one that will appear in your bathroom mirror. Her real name may be Mary Worth or Mary White, depending on who you ask.
One of the most popular stories is that Mary was once a beautiful girl who loved looking at the mirror in her bedroom. She was disfigured after a freak accident, and from that day on she was not allowed to see her own reflection. When she finally did see a mirror, she screamed so loudly that it shattered. Bloody Mary vowed that she would disfigure anyone who looked at her in the mirror.
[Sources: Left, Middle, Right]
Whether she exists or not, Bloody Mary has inspired several characters from TV and movies who appear when you say their name three times. Examples include Candyman, American Horror Story's Piggy Man, and Beetlejuice. She's also the inspiration for our do-it-yourself Halloween costume.
The Finished Look
There are claims that Bloody Mary makes water faucets and even walls run with blood. A more gruesome belief is that the "mirror witch" will use her claws to scratch out the eyes of whoever calls her. This gruesome bloody imagery was what inspired the makeup direction we took for our DIY version of Mary!
Products Used
English Nanny Costume KISS Makeup Kit Theatrical Blood
This is an extremely easy and equally impressive look you too can achieve. We started with our English nanny costume and removed the bow tie. The oh-so-important details are the makeup, contact lenses, and fake blood. You can't call your Bloody Mary costume complete without getting a little bloody! All that's left is to tease out your hair for that crazy "say my name three times and I'll tear your eyes out!" look. We used a high-quality black wig from our "Fever" line because they are so easy to style!
When you're done putting your costume together, make sure you take some time to relax with the best kind of Bloody Mary...
Here at HalloweenCostumes.com, we don't have time for such silly superstitions. Yes, we've done it a hundred times, and no, we've never seen her. We're not scared of anything. See? Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary... uhh, you get the idea...
