Gothic makeup

‘Gothic makeup and the overall gothic look is not just reserved for Halloween. Initially, Gothic makeup and culture can appear heavy and striking, but the subculture of people who choose to appear gothic is a tight-knit and strong community that is apparent in all different types of cultures and ethnicities. Characters such as Sweeny Todd and Dracula are good examples of some popular gothic characters.

A Gothic makeup look will require a lot of light face makeup. There are different types of Gothic styles which can all express your creativity or channel an era/style that you would like to represent. They include the following:

• Vampire Goth: this look is reserved for more supernatural and hard-core individuals who don’t mind extremely dark or white shades.
• Romantic Goth: this will incorporate more soft and red tones into their look. 
• Edgy: this will have a more metal feel to it, which is more inspired by the heavy metal musical era.

Base can get interesting when it comes to Gothic looks. The following are a few options:

• Natural: natural powder works well with Romantic Goth looks because it will give your face a more sensual and real feel to it.
• White: a white face for Gothic makeup is a whole look in itself. A white face will channel a ghastly and eerie image. This works well with Goths working a vampire or supernatural look. Like dusting is the way to go, because you do not want your look to appear as if you have just caked on a bunch of white makeup – this can leave you looking like a clown.
• Plain: adding no base at all to your face can be a good way to go as well. Just because you do not have an eccentric face colour does not take away from the Gothic feel.

Eye makeup can do wonders for a Gothic makeup look, and it is an essential feature to incorporate into a look that you want to achieve. The following are a few options:

•  Unique eyeliner: if regular black eye liner isn’t enough for you, you can always create actual circles around your eyes with liquid eyeliner. You can also mix different eyeliner colours together and draw shapes or wing out your eyeliner for various looks.
•  Unique eye shadow: the beauty of eye makeup is that you can experiment with as many techniques and colours as you like to achieve your ideal look. Mix and match dark hues with glittery shades for a haunting appeal.
•  Black liquid liner: this is a nice and neat way to make your eyes stand out without looking too overdone. Pair this with dark red lipstick for a powerful look.

You may be contemplating using your eyeliner as a paintbrush of sorts and using your eye area as the canvas. All kinds of designs - spider webs and batwings. However, gothic looks aren't costumes for those who favor that style, so it's imperative to exercise caution if you're trying to stand out in a crowd. Chances are that a poorly or lazily depicted drawing near the eyes will not make your eyes stand out the way you imagined. Instead, utilize other types of embellishments, such as finely milled glitter over the lids, bright eye shadows to accent the overall look (acid yellow and vibrant fuchsia are common choices) and false eyelashes spiked with silver or gold tips.

For brows, high arches are the key to achieving something that really turns heads. Once you've plucked those brows into shape, you'll want to fill them in with a dark brown or midnight black brow pencil. Don't be shy or light-handed about it; the key is to create intriguing, shaped brows.

For lips, blood red and black are the most common colour for Goths. Green, blue and purple are also common, depending on the outfit. A suggestion is to emphasise only one feature, so if you’re wearing lots of dark eye shadow, downplay the lipstick or vice versa.'

Gothic makeup - how to wear gothic makeup (2004) Available at:
http://www.hotgothicstuff.com/gothic-makeup.shtml (Accessed: 23 February 2016).

Ng, F. (2014) Gothic makeup: Tips for channeling your dark side. Available at:
https://blog.udemy.com/gothic-makeup/ (Accessed: 23 February 2016).

Schwanke, C. (2006) Dramatic gothic eye tips. Available at: http://makeup.lovetoknow.com/Gothic_Eye_Makeup_Tips (Accessed: 23 February 2016).

'When it comes to nails, bloodbath colours look delicious on vamp girls. Keep your nails short and squared and paint them with dark colours. Over a dozen years ago Chanel changed the nail scene forever. After the introduction of Vamp, a blackish brown red, over one thousand women went in waiting just to get that colour on their tips. Avoid pink nails and French manicures. Don't mix pretty nails with Gothic.'

Michalak, J. (2006) Gothic makeup ideas. Available at:
http://makeup.lovetoknow.com/Gothic_Makeup_Ideas (Accessed: 23 February 2016).

An example of Gothic makeup

Oakley, N. (2014) Want to create a gothic glam look this Halloween? Find out how. Available at: http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/style/3am-fashion-celebrity-beauty/make-up-experts-halloween-tips-gothic-4535044 (Accessed: 23 February 2016).