Halloween is just around the corner, and with the pandemic still raging, it's important that your spooky plans ensure your health and safety. One of the best ways to keep yourself and others safe is to wear a mask over your mouth and nose in public spaces. Luckily, there are plenty of fun and creative ways to incorporate masks or other protective face coverings into your Halloween costumes. No, we are not proposing more sexy nurse outfits. Instead, here are some of our favorite mask and costume ideas to get you inspired!

Use your mask as inspiration!

Do you have a particularly eye-catching mask that demands attention? Make it the statement piece of your Halloween costume and build the rest of your outfit and makeup around it. Whether or not you personify his Starry Night, we're sure you can create an ensemble that would wow Van Gogh.

Get spooky!

Grab an old sheet you can tear into strips and a buddy to wrap it around you and you'll have yourself a great mummy costume! This works best if the mask and sheet are the same color, so don’t shy away from non-white sheets - grey or brown work just as well. Side note: this is also a great way to embrace the shadows under your eyes as part of your undead look.

Go with the classics!

This cowboy costume is a great way to make face coverings look more natural. You may also already own the clothes necessary to put it all together — all it takes is a flannel, a hat and a jacket with some fringe!

Be silly with it!

A COVID-conscious ghost? Or a masked take on the ghostly Tik Tok trend? This one is a bit ridiculous, but we could certainly use some more lighthearted humor this year! The sheet will add another layer to help you stay warm if you live somewhere cold, but you may need a friend to help you walk around safely in this costume!

No matter what you choose to do this Halloween, if you’re going out, wear a mask! And, with ideas like these, you won’t even need to compromise a cool costume.