Ideal Bite

Wanna pull a great costume outta your hat? Abracadabra: Just reach for healthier Halloween makeup and better-for-the-planet getups. Plus, nonscary sweets and cocktails. Ta-da.

Got a little devil? Check out last week's Mama Bites for all things cute 'n' creepy.

1. Dressed in Show
We know the slutty-kitten-costume-in-a-bag is tempting - but consider something more original. Hit up your local thrift store for clothes and accessories, and get creative (black party dress + black beret + strings of long pearls = Coco Chanel), and you might actually wear them again, or rent one ready-made at a costume shop. You'll skip the PVC vinyl, a plastic in many drugstore one-offs that releases cancer-linked chems during and after production. Get the full Bite.

2. Kiss and Makeup
If you're too busy to go the whole nine yards, a little face paint goes a long way. Just lose the parabens - synthetic preservatives that can disrupt hormones found in most cosmetics - and opt for nontoxic face paint. Or repurpose your everyday eco-friendly makeup - who says lipstick has to be just for lips? Get the full Bite.

3. Dye Hard
Go red for a week (Mad Men’s Joan, perhaps?) with henna-based dye, which skips the caustic chems or preservatives in traditional hair color. Or make a longer commitment to Marilyn or Jackie with mineral- or plant-based permanent color, like one by Susan Henry that's made from wheat germ. Get the full Bite.

4. The Wick-ed Witch
Light up your jack-o'-lantern with a soy wax candle. Unlike conventional paraffin (a petroleum by-product) candles, these are veggie-based. Plus, soy candles - like Lumia Organics' wallet-friendly votives - burn about 50% longer. Get the full Bite.

5. Candy Land
Give out (and consume) healthy treats without tempting kids to TP or egg your house later. Just load up on organic sweets like milk or dark chocolate Bug Bites and Candy Tree Lollipops (we're suckers for lemon) that taste as good or better than conventional ones. Pesticides not included. Get the full Bite.

6. The Big Bag Theory
Still using a plastic pumpkin carrier to dole out sweets (or collect 'em)? Give low-grade plastic (which likely contains carcinogenic PVC) a rest, and tote a reusable bag, like this black ChicoBag with a skeleton and ghost, or just one from your pantry (even a pillowcase'll do). Get the full Bite.

7. Souper Trouper
Put any pumpkins you used as decoration (minus the cut-out jack-o'-lantern covered in wax) to good use after the holiday by chopping it up for a creamy Pumpkin Bisque - packed with potassium, fiber, and cancer-fighting antioxidant beta-carotene. Just roast it with onion and thyme, and puree. Get the full Bite.

8. Bippity-Boppity-Booze
Need some liquid courage to get in that Lady Gaga number? Mix up a Trick or Treat Cocktail with Veev - a spirit made from antioxidant-packed organic açai berries and prickly pear cactus. You get tipsy, the earth gets doused with fewer pesticides. Get the full Bite.

9. Apples to Apples
The healthiest (if wettest) party game ever: bobbing for in-season apples, which are packed with flavonoids and can lower your risk of heart disease. If you can, pick your Red Delicious straight from the source at a local farm (find one here) - getting 'em nearby helps cuts down on fuel and pollution from long-distance shipping. Get the full Bite.