Goth Makeup Tips For an Edgy Look

There are many different goth makeup styles and looks that you can go for, some of them can make you look really dark and myserious, whilst others are much lighter and subtle makeup gives hints of Goth without looking too heavy. Whichever one you choose is up to you entirely, but we have detailed below all the essential tips and techniques you need to achieve a great Goth look in next to no time at all.

Goth Makeup Foundation
Foundation is not essential for a great Goth look, but it certainly can help the image a lot. You need to decide whether you want to have a pale face or not (pale faces are generally much better to contrast against the heavy black makeup for a more striking effect), if you do go for a pale face look, don’t get cheap foundation as this will wear off too quickly and may not give a smooth finish.

Eye Makeup
Black is the key here. You will want to brush plenty of black eye shadow onto your eyelids and/or below the eye area to give it that dark, mysterious look. Don’t overdo the goth makeup, but if applied correctly it should really bring out the natural color of your eyes and really help to give a striking Goth look.

Lipstick
You may need to experiment with the lipstick color. Some Goths go for the traditional black lipstick which complements the eye shadow nicely and gives a much darker look, or you can go for much more colorful shades and have bright colors such as red which can work very well also. Bascially, you need to try a few out and see what suits you the best.

Cheek Highlights
An important, but often forgotten technique with goth makeup. Lightening your cheeks looks great and a soft pink color really gives your look that special edge, however you do need to choose a shade that matched your skin tone and color otherwise it may look odd. Practice makes perfect!

Gothic Fashion

Gothic Fashion

Goth fashion is stereotyped as a dark, sometimes morbid, eroticized fashion and style of dress. Typical gothic fashion includes dyed black hair, dark eyeliner, black fingernails, black period-styled clothing; goths may or may not have piercings.

Styles are often borrowed from the Elizabethan, Victorian or medieval period and often express Catholic or other religious imagery such as crucifixes or ankhs. The extent to which goths hold to this style varies amongst individuals as well as geographical locality, though virtually all Goths wear some of these elements.

Gothic Fashion: From Romantic to Cyber goth

Traditional period Goth garb usually consists of mostly black clothing along with some white and are often accessorized with silver or pewter. The stereotypical gothic outfit sometimes referred to as the romantic look may include elaborate gowns and corsets, veils, full skirts, neck corsets, fishnets, lace and velvets. Also popular are tight-fitting trousers, pointy boots, flouncy poet or pirate shirts and footwear with buckles. I find the simplicity of traditional Goth style lends itself to variation, and is can be combined with fetish elements to give it a dark and romantic edge.

Closely related to the Romantic (Victorian, Elizabethan, Renaissance) Goth style is the Gothic Lolita style that emerged from Japan, usually a combination of black and white, often black with white lace and typically decorated with ribbons and lace trims. Frilly, ruffled or lace-trimmed Victorian blouses are also popular with Gothic Lolitas and designs are usually modest, sometimes with long lace-capped sleeves and/or high-necked blouses. Some additions may include mini top hats, parasols, and lace headdresses.

Most recently, Goth fashion has been infiltrated by forward-thinking styles that are more futuristic, science fiction and youthful. UV-reactive colors and materials, progressive fashions, huge shoes and boots, wild hair extensions using artificial materials, often with an undercut shave, goggles, cybernetics, androgyny, the influence of cyberpunk or anime themes and body modification are some of the elements of Cybergoth. A full-spectrum of bright or neon colors are an exciting addition to black. For example, a popular combination is black with hot pink, a flattering color for most skin tones.

Of course, you can borrow elements of one or more gothic subcategory and sometimes this is dependant on the occasion. For gothic theme parties, you may combine elements of vintage, Victorian and fetish to create a costume that is intentionally spectacular and fantasy-oriented as an artistic display.