Gothic Makeup Tips
From Adviceopedia
If you are interested in pulling off goth fashion, ask for some gothic makeup tips to complete your look. Being goth means more than just wearing black.
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Gothic Makeup Tips and Advice
If you are dressing goth to make a personal or fashion statement, your gothic makeup is just as important as your outfit. If done badly, it will look like you don’t know how to wear makeup and instantly ruin your look. Also, Gothic has nothing to do with being goth, Gothic is a type of clothing and castle design, it has nothing to do with black makeup boots and writing depressing poety, and to all you people out they saying you are "gothic" you're all posers. Gothic is not Goth. they are two different things, Dracula and his castle are gothic, not this makeup guide.
Putting on your makeup is a process, so take your time and make sure it looks right. If it doesn’t look good, wash your face and start over.
Your Tool Box is Important
Before getting started, you need to make sure you have the right makeup and brushes to apply it. Many retailers offer makeup, from the drugstore to the specialty shop. If you break out easily, buy more specialized makeup with your skin type in mind.
Here is a list of tools you should have on hand to complete your look:
- Liquid foundation
- Powder foundation (one or two shades paler than your skin tone)
- Eye shadow (preferably shades of light, medium, and dark)
- White eye shadow
- Black eyeliner
- Black mascara
- Lipstick (black, an original shade of red, or a distinct color)
- Lip liner
- Black nail polish
- Jewelry
- Hair die
- Sponges (the wedge shaped ones work best)
- Cotton swabs
- Large makeup brushes
- Eyebrow brush (looks like a little comb)
Start with Whiteface Makeup
Good gothic makeup tips will tell you that whiteface does not literally mean using white cake makeup. The goal of whiteface is to make you look pale. Not everyone can pull this look off. If your skin is naturally dark, you need to cover all areas of your skin to make it look right. Only go one or two shades paler than your skin tone to make it look more natural.
Make sure you use a good base first and smooth it evenly on your face and neck. Your true skin tone needs to be completely covered.
Your Eyes are a Center Point
To pull off a true gothic look, your eyes need to be accented perfectly. This includes your eyebrows, upper eyes and eyeliner.
Your Eyebrows Need to be Perfectly Groomed
Your eyebrows are a visual point on your face. Before you paint your eyebrows, pluck them to create the perfect shape. A perfect arch is recommended. Before getting started, spend some time researching plucking. This can help prevent some pain and an over plucked brow.
Accent Your Eye Lids
There are different options when it comes to makeup and your eyes. The most common gothic look is raccoon eyes. If you don’t want to go with the traditional raccoon eyes, you can try cat eyes or new wave stripes.
Here are some of the different techniques you can use on your eyes:
Raccoon Eyes:
- Begin by filling in your eyelid and bone area with white eye shadow
- Fill in just your eyelid with black. To tone it down a little you can use grey instead of black to accent your eyes.
- Start at the lower edge and move towards the crease while filling in the eyelid
- Blend into the white
Cat Eyes:
- For cat eyes, start with a light background color like white, yellow or pink. You will need multiple shades of eye shadow.
- Apply a darker shade of eye shadow along your eye’s crease. It should look darker at the outer edge and lighten as it goes in towards the nose.
- Next apply the color in an upward pattern, similar to a triangle or an arc and blend.
- Apply another arc inside with a darker shade (it is OK to overlap). This arc will be smaller.
- Repeat as many times as you want.
- Sweep the color in a vaguely-triangular, upward-pointing pattern. Blend with larger eye shadow brush.
New Wave Stripes (Very ’80’s):
- First pick your colors. They should complement each other and graduate from light to dark.
- Begin at the inner corner of your eye with the lightest color. Make a solid and slightly angled stripe from the inner corner of your eye to the inner tip of your eyebrow.
- Repeat with the next color.
- With the last color, create a circular line connecting the tip of your outer eyebrow to the corner of your eye.
- Do not blend.
Practice your makeup a few times before going out in public.
Extravagant Eyeliner is Good
Liquid eyeliner is harder to put on, but it creates a darker, defined line. With a gothic style, it is appropriate to be creative in your eyeliner. You can stay simple by just outlining your upper or lower lid, or both. If you are in the right mood, try extending your eyeliner and embellishing it with curly Q’s or curves.
Your Lips Don’t Have to be Red
You have two main color options for your lips, black or red. However, some goth may choose a color that matches their outfit, including silver. When at the store, look for a color that is eccentric. You want a color no one else is wearing. Try to stick with deep reds.
Start with lip liner to define your lips and keep the lip color from feathering. Your liner needs to be the same color or lighter than your lipstick. Some goth looks like to also use a darker liner to accentuate the lip line.
Baby Doll Lips
If you want to try something creative, baby doll lips like the ones you see in scary movies, are included in original gothic makeup tips.
- Your lips will represent china doll lips
- Before applying your lipstick, apply foundation to your lips to hide your original shape
- Dust powder over your lips and foundation to seal in your foundation
- Use a lip liner pencil to draw your new lip outline before filling them in with red. They should be more plump then straight, almost like a heart.
- A lip plumper can help enhance the effect. Lovetoknow Makeup offers more tips on creating plump lips.
Other Lip Tricks
You can create some fun tricks with lip liner and a pencil.
- Outline your lips in black
- Fill them in with white, black or red
- Use the black pencil to draw vertical lines that look like teeth
- Don't be afraid to experiment with a "V" shape
Nail Polish
Your look is not finished until you have painted your nails. Black nail polish is a gothic look, but it is not mandatory. Goths will also use dark shades of red, purple, and the occasional midnight blue. It is fine to skip this step altogether if you choose not to paint your nails.
Theatrical Stores Offer More Makeup Options
Theatrical stores can offer a variety of make up options you won’t find at Younkers or Wal-Mart. They focus on theatrical makeup. If you don’t have a theatrical store nearby, use Halloween as a time to stock up.
