How To Do Gothic Makeup


How To Do Gothic Makeup the Easy Way

Halloween season is for gothic makeup. Though this festival is not celebrated here in India but every year my friends and me dress up like gothic and draculas and do some crazy photo sessions!! Even my college freshers had the theme ‘devils and angels’. So, I thought of sharing some tips with you. True vampire fashion will have you reaching for cosmetics such as black eyeliner, purple eye shadow, maroon and purple lipstick (with matching lip liner), a foundation that is several shades lighter than yourself, and your secret weapon which is a shimmery white powder.  Look for gothic inspiration in vampire books and movies. The Cullens look is very in these days.

gothic makeup
gothic makeup

Face Prep

Wash & dry your face a few minutes before applying makeup, oily skin will make makeup look greasy and plastic as well as clog your pores and create pimples. It is equally important to not sleep in your makeup.

Morbid Pale Complexion

Dust your face with baby powder. It is transparent and will give you a very pale look without looking fake. Baby powder can also be applied to neck, shoulders, arms and cleavage. Remember to go lightly, only clowns overdo it. Or what you can do is use a foundation. The foundation ought to be matte, because nobody likes an oily vampire.
Take out your shimmery white powder and dust it on targeted areas of your face: the cheekbones (like you would regular blush on), the forehead, the brow bones and between the eyes above the bridge of your nose. Also trace a line on your nose bridge to give a more aquiline feature which is characteristic of most vampires.

gothic eye makeup
gothic eye makeup

Eyeliner

Goths apply black eyeliner. Most Goths apply eye liner around their bottom lid just inside or below the bottom lashes. Applying only to the bottom lid will make your eyes look smaller. Professionals warn against using eyeliner on the inside bottom lid because it causes clogged tear ducts and sometimes infection. Remember, kohl is your soulmate.  Line your eyes as much as you desire. Remember what you see in most gothic makeup pictures, the thicker the better. Popular mainstream gothic eyeliner looks include Dawn’s three tears, the Egyptian look and the Eric Draven look from the movie “The Crow”. You’ll want to look different and not like everyone else, so show in your creativity. Liquid black eyeliner lets you be really creative. Have a few wet Q-tips ready to use like precision erasers in case you make a mistake.

Eye Shadow

Pressed powder is the easiest to work with. Dip or smudge your brush into the powder, then tap on the container or blow excess off the brush or it will sprinkle on your face. Creamy eye shadow and sticks are greasy, wear into the creases of your lids and smear very easily. Purple and black are the most common colours for goth eyes. Most Goths sweep it in an upward motion on the outer edges of their eyes to give more character. You might even want to apply a little underneath your lower lash line to ensure continuity on the purple or black allure.

gothic eyeshadows
gothic eyeshadows

Mascara

Mascara is a must, the blacker the better. Apply as many coats of mascara as you want, it brings out more drama.

gothic lips
gothic lips

Lips

Blood red, Maaroonand black are the most common colors for Goths leaning towards the undead, of course. Be unique – try blue, green or even purple to match your outfit. The rule here is to do the opposite by pairing up one color lipstick with another color of liner (example, purple lipstick and maroon liner, or maroon lipstick and purple liner). Goth beauty is all about drawing the attention to specific features, and in this case the lips will be a lot more noticeable if it’s two-toned.

A suggestion is emphasize only one feature, so if your wearing lots of eye shadow down play the lipstick or vice versa. If you apply lipstick with a lip brush you will get a much better look. You can find really nice gothic makeup in true colors at your local theatrical supply shops. Quality products make a big difference but if you’re on a budget then the corner drug store will do, but really look at the colors and how thick the pigment is. In winter if you have chapped lips try not to bite or lick them, apply lip balm to keep them soft and supple. You can also wear lip balm under lipstick.

Blush

Goths do NOT wear blush! When it comes to gothic makeup, always remember that blush is the enemy. Blush creates a flush, and flush signifies life. Ergo, a swipe of pink blush will be totally against the entire undead look you are going for. Just Say No to Blush.

Nails

The most popular nail color for girls and guys is black. Other gothic nails colors include deep dark blue, purple, green and blood red. You can also paint each nail a different color, but not like a rainbow, keep it dark. Nails must be short and preferably bitten back to be truly goth. I have never seen a goth with dragon lady nails.

Touch-Ups

Shiny is bad, always carry a compact with powder to do touch-ups when you’re out to keep that matte look. You may also want to carry a few q-tips in case you have lots of eyeliner on.

So get wild and bring out the vamp in you!

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17 thoughts on “How To Do Gothic Makeup

  1. “…because nobody likes an oily vampire.” :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

    I’m wearing black nailpolish at the moment, feel so gothic after reading your article 😛

  2. to make it a lil extra scary – put kohl on the water line – then use a cherry red pencil on ur lower lash line …. closely followed by a light blue liner – smudge both downward to get a bloodshot and slightly bruised edward cullen eye …. :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

    1. You know I have this MUFE eye liner in burgundy no..It has a pathetic staying power on waterline so I swiped it 40 times on my eyes thinking that this would increase the staying power..By the time I finished swiping and checked my eyes in the mirror, I got scared myself. They looked watery blood red… 😮 😮 😮 :tremble: :tremble: :tremble: :tremble:

      Lesson: never swipe a burgundy pencil 40 times on your waterline.. 😐 😐 😐 😐

  3. If I mess up my black smokey eye ever, I’ll say i did Goth…. :rotfl: :rotfl:

    And say no to blush!!!!!! I will actually DIE…. 😛 😛

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