Unleash Your Dark Side: Master the Art of Goth Makeup
Alyssia Chang
- Published
featured image: m0rguekittyy
Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.
Are you looking to refresh your old makeup habits and find the perfect goth makeup look?
Whether you’re already a goth enthusiast or just looking for a creative new look, this comprehensive guide will introduce you to various goth makeup styles, techniques, and products.
Dive into a realm where darkness meets beauty, and explore how to master the art of goth makeup with confidence from the pros.
Key Takeaways
Explore your dark side with Goth Makeup: discover modern trends, egirl and pastel styles, plus 8 steps for achieving the look.
Professional tips and accessories help you adapt goth makeup for everyday wear or special occasions.
Get inspired by pop culture while using essential products like Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Palette to create a captivating look!
What is Goth Makeup?
Goth makeup is an exciting and daring style inspired by rock music, Fall trends, dark themes, and fictional creatures like vampires and witches. Characterized by dark smoky eyes, black eyeshadow, dark lipstick, and fair foundation.
This creative and edgy makeup style comes in various forms, such as Goth glam makeup, Trad Goth makeup, Pretty Goth makeup, Hippie goth makeup, and Purple Goth makeup, each with its unique characteristics and makeup techniques.
Whether you’re a fan of the classic goth makeup look or the more playful cute goth makeup, there’s a style for everyone.
Modern Goth Makeup Trends
In recent years, new goth makeup styles have emerged, blending the traditional gothic aesthetic with modern influences.
Current goth makeup trends bring together elements from emo, punk, cosplay, and anime aesthetics, offering fresh and innovative ways to express your dark side.
Egirl Goth Makeup takes inspiration from dark colors and adds a manga, gamers touch. Featuring eye-catching anime eyes and dramatic eyeliner.
Pastel Goth Makeup, on the other hand, is a charming and colorful style that incorporates pastel shades, perfect for those who want a kawaii goth look. Finally, Soft Goth Makeup is a chic and stylish trend that emphasizes subtle eyeliner and dark lipstick, making it ideal for those who prefer a more minimalistic approach.
Egirl Goth Makeup
Inspired by the punk movement of the 1970s and the emo, scene, and mall goth fashion of the early 2000s, Egirl goth makeup emerged from social media platforms like TikTok, Twitch, and Nexopia to create a unique and captivating style. This gorgeous variation features:
Statement eyes and eyebrows.
Dramatic winged eyeliner.
Playful faux freckles or drawings.
Dark lipstick, blurred or with clean lines.
Rosy nose and cheek blush.
Begin your Egirl Goth makeup journey by following these key makeup steps:
Select a foundation that complements your skin tone.
Layer a somewhat lighter shade on top to achieve a more gothic look.
Add a bright spark to the inner corner of your eyes with white eyeshadow highlight as part of your eye makeup.
Emphasize your eyes with dark eyeliner, fake lashes, and a few winged liner points.
Give your look a bold edge with black or blood red lipstick.
Add a pop of color to your cheeks with blush.
Finally, finish off with liquid eyeliner hearts, dots, or stars to give your face a unique touch.
Pastel Goth Makeup
Pastel goth makeup is a brighter style that beautifully combines the dark and edgy aesthetic of goth with the lightness and playfulness of pastel colors. This charming goth makeup trend incorporates pastel shades like:
Pink
Baby blue
Mint green
Purple
Lavender
It offers a unique twist on the traditional goth look, incorporating a dark shadow aesthetic, colored wigs, glitter, crescent moon symbols, and Ombre lips.
The origins of Pastel Goth makeup can be traced back to the 2010s, where it emerged on the internet as a creative fusion of classic Gothic fashion and East Asian aesthetics. The philosophy behind this style is to bring a unique and creative twist to the traditional goth look by incorporating soft pastel colors, sparkly elements, and peircings.
Soft Goth Makeup
Soft Goth makeup is a more natural goth makeup trend that emphasizes:
Subtle eyeliner.
Natural looking lashes.
Neutral or darker lips.
Radiant skin with a natural or matte finish.
Charming faux freckle makeup dots on the nose and cheeks.
This daily version goth look is perfect for those who prefer a more minimalistic approach. It adds a delicate touch to the overall goth aesthetic.
8 Easy Steps to Achieve Goth Makeup
Eager to master your dark side? Implement these straightforward steps to craft an unforgettable goth makeup look:
Start by prepping your face. Make sure your skin is exfoliated and moisturized to create an ideal canvas for your sinister makeup look.
Apply a foundation that matches your skin tone, then apply a slightly lighter concealer under the eyes and around the “T” area of the face for a more ethereal complexion. Blend to avoid any cakiness.
Define your brows using a brow pencil, like the L’Oréal Paris Brow Stylist Definer Waterproof Eyebrow Mechanical Pencil. Then give life back to your eyebrows with a sculpting brow gel.
Create a beautiful smoky eye by starting with a transitional dark gray eyeshadow on your lid. Use a blending brush for a seamless blend and enhance your look with a dense amount of black matte shadow to the inner corner of your eyes, close to your lash line, and outer edges.
After blending, apply black liquid eyeliner on the top and bottom of the eyes for a striking, bold look, and don’t forget to add winged eyeliner for a dramatic effect.
Choose a dark lip color, like black or deep red, and line your lips with a matching lip liner. Fill in your lips with a liquid lipstick for a long-lasting, stunning goth makeup look.
Apply mascara to your lashes or on top of your fake lashes to enhance the vibrancy of your eyes.
Finally, set your makeup with a long lasting setting spray to ensure your goth makeup look stays on all day (or night!).
By using these basic makeup steps, you can control your desired intensity and construct an alluring goth makeup look that will express your inner Wednesday Addams!
Professional Goth Makeup Tips for Beginners
Whether you’re a goth pro or just starting to find your makeup style, don’t worry! Here’s some expert makeup artist advice and strategies to help you become proficient in goth makeup:
Use a black cream eyeliner or pencil before applying your eyeshadow to enhance your eyes and add a beautiful definition to both the upper and lower lash lines.
Contrast your lip and eyeshadow colors for a stunning and one-of-a-kind look. L’Oréal Paris recommends vibrant vampy red, rich deep brown, or warm burnt orange as alternative lip colors for a goth makeup look.
Use a long, thin tipped Micro Fine Artist Paint brush to draw black liquid eyeliner spikes, wings, webs, and grunge makeup.
Change the shape of your eyebrows by putting a few layers of purple glue stick within the brow hairs. This will cover the color and allow you to explore wearing no eyebrows by putting your foundation on top after it dries.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different makeup techniques and products, reference other makeup artists, influencers, and practice until you feel confident in your goth makeup skills. Remember, practice makes perfect!
Goth Makeup for Men
Don’t worry men, we got your makeup covered too! Men’s goth makeup typically focuses on dark eyeshadow, bold eyeliner, colored contacts, and unique graphic patterns for a striking and sharp look.
Here is some of our favorite masculine goth makeup techniques that you’ll love:
Follow the head of the eyebrows and use black liquid or shadow along the sides of the nose bridge to create an organic symmetrical shape. Blend into your eyebrow color.
Whether it is your skin tone or a lighter shade of face makeup, both styles look good on gothic men’s makeup! Just make sure to sculpt the cheek bones and jaw line with a contour shadow-like color.
Use black eyeshadow to create a messy smoky eye and black eyeliner smudged in the lower eye area.
Well kept moisturized lips are important! Use a men’s lip balm such as Jack Black for a natural goth lip, the remnants of your foundation for a wiped out lip, or a hydrating black lipstick for the full goth treatment.
While preserving its core characteristics, goth makeup can be easily modified for daily wear.
To achieve a more casual goth makeup look, consider using nude, light-colored lipsticks, or blend with your fingers your lip products that complements your skin.
For the eyes, instead of wearing thick amounts of liquid black eyeliner, use a black pencil and blur out the edges for a subtle yet stylish look. Lashes can be defined with using only mascara, and keep your eyebrows softer with using less eyebrow product.
Incorporate black accessories, such as earrings or bracelets, for a subtle hint of goth. Remember, the key to everyday goth makeup is finding the right balance between bold and subdued elements, allowing you to still express yourself.
Accessorizing Your Goth Makeup Look
Accessorize your goth makeup look with fashionable septum rings, chokers, wigs, and face stickers for an added flair. Faux or real septum rings come in various styles, such as side septum rings, double nose rings, and those with fashionable gothic designs like crucifixes, skulls, or bats.
Adding these accessories to your goth makeup look will create a complete and cohesive style that will surely turn heads.
Goth Makeup Inspirations from Pop Culture
Pop culture is a treasure trove of ideas for goth makeup styles. Iconic goth makeup looks in movies, TV shows, and music can serve as a starting point for your own unique goth style. For example, Nancy from The Craft was a 90s goth icon with her dark and edgy look, including heavy black eyeliner, dark lipstick, and pale complexion, inspiring a new wave of goth makeup trends.
Here are some influential gothic icons to put you in the mood:
Motionless in White.
Beauty influencer Alice Lockhart’s.
Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams.
Marilyn Manson…pretty self explanatory.
Nothing like diving deep into the music and movie industry to get you started on exploring these iconic looks can provide endless inspiration for your own goth eye makeup style.
Goth Makeup for Special Occasions
Creating different goth makeup styles for special events is a great way to push you out of your comfort zone and try something new!
Halloween, concerts, or cosplay conventions provide the ideal stage to display your adventurous makeup prowess. To adapt your goth makeup for these events, consider incorporating smoky eyes with dark eyeliners and bold eyeshadow shades, dark matte lipstick, and gothic symbols or elements.
For Halloween, you can explore a wide range of creative goth makeup looks, such as glamorous vampire or witch makeup, dark and mysterious makeup with dramatic elements, or copying looks from goth queen themed lore. Remember, the key to successful goth makeup for special occasions is to be creative and let your imagination run wild.
Essential Goth Makeup Products
Having the appropriate makeup products at your disposal is crucial for successfully crafting diverse goth makeup styles. Some must-have products include the Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Palette, black cream eyeliner, and deep red lipstick.
Other essential products for creating stunning goth makeup looks are eyeshadow palettes with versatile dark, rich shades; black liquid eyeliner for a bold and striking look; and deep, vampy lip colors like black, deep red, or rich brown.
With these essential products, you’ll be well-equipped to create an impressive goth makeup look that’s uniquely you.
Summary
Whatever style of makeup you decide to wear is completely up to you and we’re just so happy to be a part of it.
Loving the darker sides of makeup is the perfect way of displaying confidence, sultriness, and showing off your uniqueness.
FAQs
What kind of makeup do Goths use?
Goth makeup tends to be simple yet effective and can range from drug store, to artistry, to luxury makeup brands. The essentials are black eyeliner, brow pencil and gel, dark lipstick, and some variety of eyeshadow palettes. Your creativity and mood can also be harnessed to create any dramatic or simple look.
How do you get goth pale?
To get a smooth goth pale look, apply a foundation or concealer that’s 1-2 shades lighter than your natural skin tone and set it with white face powder. Reduce sun exposure, use rice powder makeup, brightening whitening Korean skincare, BB creams before face makeup. Then add contrast with dark eye makeup, contour, and darker lips to make your complexion appear even more pale.
How to do gothic makeup for beginners?
Start by prepping the skin with your daily skincare and primers. Create a matte face base, then use contouring and highlighter for facial definition. Finish with a smoky eye, defined brows, and a rich color lipstick for the perfect gothic makeup look!
Can men wear goth makeup?
Yes, men can wear any makeup and goth makeup especially. We love a man that can rock dark eyeshadow, smudged out eyeliner, and unique graphic patterns!
How can I adapt goth makeup for everyday wear?
For an everyday look, wear a subtle hint of goth by incorporating nude or light-colored lip products with less dramatic eyeliner and subtle eyeshadow. Finish off with smaller black accessories. Avoid overly bold looks for a more natural look.
