Maybe you’re purchasing your pirate costume or creating it for yourself, a few and thoughtful extras will highlight you at your party. If you really want to make a splash this year’s Halloween party remember these valuable little pointers, and people will see what a true buccaneer you really are.

Pirates have never given any thought to hygene. Not surpising when you are living on the high seas fending for your very life . Hygene and health don’t seem to matter very much. It simply is not feasible to squeeze in a bathing session amid swashbuckling times. So here is how to take your pirate costume to the next level and avoid paying out your valuable doubloons and dirtying it up a little. Actual dirt works well. Just pop outside to your garden and grab a handful of soil or mud to smear on your clothes, face and hair.

If you’re simply too well refined to use real dirt, buy some dark face paint at any local costume shop. For a cheaper option, powdered chocolate works well. Just pick up a tin of dried chocolate milk mix at your local grocery store. Dust a some of it over your clothes and face. The powdered chocolate option is great for hair, because it washes out more easily than dirt or oil-based paints. Any of these options are likely to stain your clothes, but a real pirate has more important things to do than laundry, anyway.

Since Pirates don’t care much for showers, think about how they feel going to the dentist. A true captain of the high seas wears his or her gnarly smile with pride. Take a look down the aisles of your local costume retailer for non toxic paint that can be used on your nashers.

Another option are low cost plastic gold teeth caps, (because they are not really gold!!) to be found in the pirate costume section. With these, you can show off your success at pillaging booty. It is not just any pirate that can wear these. Only rich pirate boys and girls have the cash for gold capped teeth.

For an extra special touch, make sure your pirate costume includes the seafarer’s most noble companion: the parrot. Buy an inexpensive stuffed toy one, and fasten it on your shoulder with a hook and loop product maybe like Velcro. You could always stitch it to your costume, but these sorts of fasteners can be bought with adhesive backing. This method requires no sewing skills, and guarantees that you can simply take off the parrot if necessary.