On November 1, Cameo Beauty Academy will enter into its 25th year under the ownership of Susan Rock and Herman A. Harrison. To commemorate this milestone and celebrate Halloween in style, Cameo will host a Halloween Costume Contest, which will be held October 31 and November 1, and is open to all students. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place on each day.

To the surprise of absolutely no one, this year’s most popular Halloween costumes will be influenced by characters from the biggest movies and TV shows of 2014. For everyone who’s feeling heroic, devilish or in touch with their inner ice princess, the top disguises for this haunting season are predicted below:

1.  Maleficent, from Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty” remake starring Angelina Jolie in all her chiseled-cheekboned, glowing-green-eyed glory.
2. Superheros. Captain America, Black Widow and Spider-Man all made big-screen appearances again this year, so these costumes will be easy to find and, for all the ScarJo wanna-bes, her Black Widow character is a compelling excuse to spring for that catsuit and feisty red wig (or dye job!)
3. Gamora, from Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Green skin is no longer indicative of the Wicked Witch of the West (another popular choice); Zoe Saladana once again made a name for herself by playing a beautiful alien warrior in a summer blockbuster, this time sporting green (rather than Avatar-blue) digital makeup.
4. Frozen characters. Disney’s newest princesses are popular with girls of all ages, a phenomenon that’s become a little too evident with the appearance of sexy Frozen costumes on the market. Think it’s a joke? Wait til you see the “Sexy Olaf” getup.
5. Ninja Turtles. Again, thanks to “sexy” versions for women, these characters can be inhabited by both men and women. Pizza with outrageous toppings is an optional accessory.
6. Day of the Dead skeletons. Colorful, gothic Dia de los Muertos imagery is gaining popularity beyond the Latino community this year, thanks in part to the new movie “The Book of Life.” The film’s love story might also make this trend into a popular couples theme.

So, what to take away from this? If you want to impress our judges, who will be looking for originality and creativity, we encourage you to go for something other than the costumes above. Or, try coming up with your own new spin on a classic. After all, part of our mission at Cameo is to encourage your creative instincts. It’s what makes you, you! Or at least, whatever you choose to be this Halloween.

(Winners from Friday, Oct. 31, 2014)