Articles by Meredith Wilshere

Technology

Man Goes Behind Wife’s Back, Changes Halloween Costume at the Last Minute to Something 'More Manly'

Finding the perfect Halloween costume can be a difficult task, especially when you have to stick to a certain theme. One 34-year-old man's wife made it easy for him by deciding on their costume ahead of time — but he chose to switch things up at the last minute. The man shared in a Reddit post that he and his 34-year-old wife share two kids. Every year, his wife’s family has a theme for Halloween, and this year they chose Barbie. The man’s wife said they should dress up as characters from Barbie Princess Charm School, as that was her favorite Barbie movie growing up. While the man wasn't a fan of the costume idea, rather than talking to his wife, he took matters into his own hands. “I hate this theme and would rather go as something more manly that won't embarrass me in front of my neighbors and friends," he explained. "After work one night I stopped at the store and got myself a Batman costume instead." "I let my wife believe I was going as Barbie's love interest from the movie and would arrive later to the party because I was working late, when in all reality I was getting ready to wear the Batman costume,” he shared. When the man arrived at the party, his sisters-in-law greeted him at the door, but immediately "got mad" about his costume. He explained that he didn't like the original theme, so he chose his own. “At that point, my wife had found us and started yelling about how selfish I was and how this is the one time a year that she gets to let loose and have fun with the theme," he wrote. "She told me to leave and I drove to a friend’s house and am spending the night out of anger." His wife’s family has been “blowing up my phone telling me how selfish I am” and “calling me every name in the book.” He then blocked the family members and told his wife he needed a couple of days to “cool down.” The man realized he was “being a little selfish” and “should have stuck with the theme," but still asked for outside perspective on the matter. People in the comments section were quick to side with the wife, stating that if he were just upfront about it, there would be less of an issue. “You so desperately wanted to show everyone how ‘manly’ you are, and instead you’ve made yourself look like the little boy you really are,” one person wrote. “Mate, you had a chance to do the most manly thing ever; being a cool dad and husband, owning how silly you'd look while doing it. Now you've got a family who are mad at you, and you're down the cost of a costume, neither of which make you more manly,” another person wrote.

Technology

Influencer Starts ’Grueling’ Halloween Makeup Series in the Summer, Says Each Look Takes Up to 4 Hours (Exclusive)

Natalie Violette loves Halloween. The makeup artist and influencer celebrates the holiday by posting a Halloween-inspired makeup look every day of October, recreating characters from famous movies and beloved TV shows. “I have always loved Halloween. I remember when I was younger, I would always make my mom do my makeup because I wanted to be like a certain character," she tells PEOPLE. "My love for Halloween inspired the series.” Violette, 27, has done the series for the last three years, recreating characters from A Nightmare Before Christmas, Beetlejuice, Coraline and Shrek, to name a few. As a self-taught makeup artist, Violette loves seeing how her skills have improved year after year. While some of her followers point out that she repeats some of the looks, Violette sees it more as a diary of her improvements. “I love doing the Other Mother from Coraline. She's one of my favorites," she says. "I've done this for the past three years now. Every year I did better than last year... because I'll make little tweaks with either the makeup or the costume, the hair. It’s fun to see myself do better." One of her favorite things about the series is the response online and watching people try to recreate her makeup. She still receives comments on years-old videos from people letting her know they based their Halloween costume on the look. The worst part, however, is “how time-consuming it is.” She not only has to plan out all 31 different characters and do the actual makeup, but also film and edit the videos. While filming, Violette has to apply the makeup in stages, adding in songs, transitions and lip-synching to trending audios and songs. “A lot of times I'll have to cancel plans. It’s grueling during this time of year, when I'm thinking I have to go get this done," she shares. "There's times when I'm doing my day and then I think, 'Oh, I have to stop. I have to go film my Halloween look because it's 31 days, 31 looks.' Even if you start early, it doesn't matter; days get away from you.” To have all the content ready on time, Violette starts preparing for the annual series during the summer. “In August, I made a list of what characters I would like to do. I usually do it depending on what's popular for the season or just classics," she says. "I usually do my favorite movies to get inspiration and things that I've seen on my timeline, which I think is cool and I'm inspired by.” “I'll start filming at the end of August, so I have them stockpiled because they can take some time, really, depending on the look. If I'm doing a full face paint, it could take me up to three, four hours. It really depends on the look,” Violette shares. While she has a few tried-and-true characters, Violette also takes recommendations from her nearly 4 million followers and people in her comments section. “I have a really good parasocial relationship with my followers. They inspire me a lot," she tells PEOPLE. "There's some comments where they say, ‘Do this.’ That wasn't even on my list, but I'm gonna remove this one and add this one." "There are times where I say I love this character and I'm gonna do it because I love it. Then there are other times where they do inspire me," Violette adds. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. While she is satisfied with how most of her looks turn out, Violette admits there are some her followers will never see. “I do it every single day, and there are trials and errors where I will do a whole entire makeup look, then I think, ‘I hate this,'" she says. "That's happened a couple times with this series. I've done full looks and I'm so unhappy with how this turned out, so I'll completely just trash it.” “I love and take so much pride in this series and I know it's a thing that people look forward to every year," she continues. "Even when something doesn’t work and I think, ‘Oh, that was a day wasted.’ At the same time, it wasn't because I'm still doing my thing and trying new techniques and learning. It's not a day wasted.” A good makeup look, she shares, comes down to “something that makes you happy” and a great “transformation.” “I think what makes a really good Halloween look is definitely full face paint and blending, and being super creative," Violette shares. "I love seeing a transformation, almost as if you can't even recognize the person." Her advice for those looking to do their own intricate makeup look is to “start early.” “If you're trying to do a crazy look for the night, definitely start early," she says. "Sometimes it could take a really long time. Do what you think looks best on you. A lot of the time, I will recreate a character, but I'll always add my specific spark to it. I always do a glam version. Always do what makes you feel comfortable and happy.”

Technology

Founder of N.Y.C. Ghost Tour Reveals the Popular Site Where '1000s of Bodies Are Buried': It's 'Definitely' Haunted (Exclusive)

New York City is haunted. No one knows this better than Steven “Stevie” Garcia, the visionary founder and CEO of Empire Tours and Productions. While talking to PEOPLE, Garcia shares what people can expect from the Gangsters and Ghosts Tour in New York City — and which popular sites he believes are "definitely" haunted. “It’s really a two-in-one experience, part true crime history, part ghost story. We take people through some of Manhattan’s oldest and most infamous neighborhoods like Chinatown, Little Italy, the West Village, and the old Five Points, the same streets where New York’s original gangs, bootleggers and speakeasies once thrived,” Garcia shares. The N.Y.C. Gangsters & Ghosts Tour includes real-life locations featured in movies like Goodfellas, Gangs of New York and The Irishman. The tour boasts haunted locations and old crime scenes from the 19th and 20th centuries. “We connect guests to the history they've only seen or heard about in movies, documentaries and popular podcasts, dramatically increasing the tour's allure," he shares. "The tour is led by historian guides who walk guests through real events, murders, deals and betrayals that helped shape the city’s reputation during the early 1900s." “We talk about the hauntings and strange stories tied to those places today. It’s not theatrical or over-the-top, it’s grounded in history but still gives you that eerie, goosebump feeling when you realize how much of that past still lingers," he adds. One of the reasons for founding the tour was to show people that New York has living and breathing history. “Every alley, every corner has a story, and some of them are a little eerie once you know what went down there. While our tours are designed for tourists, they consistently delight long-time residents," he says. "For example, locals who've lived in N.Y.C. for years frequently leave with the 'I had no idea' realization, having uncovered hidden layers of their own city's past." When asked about whether there are haunted spots in New York City, Garcia says: “Definitely.” “Washington Square Park is one of the biggest; it was actually a potter’s field before it became a park, so thousands of bodies are still buried underneath," he says. "The old buildings in the West Village have plenty of stories too, especially some of those brownstones with a few too many unexplained sounds at night.” Speaking of unexplained sounds at night, Garcia shares that occasionally, during the tour, “someone catches something odd," such as a “photo with an unexplained blur” or a “sudden cold spot that makes everyone stop for a second.” “Our guides have their own stories too, especially around old crime scenes where weird things tend to happen again and again. Some have noted flickering lights and other unexplainable phenomena around the tour route.” While the tour stops at several interesting places in the city, one location that stands out to Garcia is the Five Points region of the city, a 19th-century, densely populated neighborhood in Lower Manhattan known for crime and poverty. The area, which is said to be the basis for Gangs of New York, was redeveloped and is now occupied by the Civic Center, courthouses and parts of Chinatown. “It was this chaotic melting pot where gangs, immigrants and early New Yorkers all collided," Garcia says. "Dangerous, yes, but also the birthplace of a lot of what shaped modern Manhattan." "We provide a nuanced view of the city's history, examining the power struggles within this neighborhood as a lens into broader themes of immigration, criminal law and the rise of N.Y.C. as a global power," he continues. "We strive to connect this powerful history without ever glorifying violence or criminal activity." Garcia shares that the fascination with this period of time has to do with the “mix of danger and glamor.” “The gangsters were ruthless, but they were also larger-than-life; they built empires in the shadows. When you add the ghost stories on top of that, it gives people this feeling of stepping into a real-life movie where history and mystery overlap.”