Find your desired gothic makeup here
The entire Goth culture is heavily into appearance. Makeup is just one of the features that complete a Gothic look, but it's an important one, too. Gothic makeup can be dark and beautiful.
Choosing the Makeup
1 Look for a foundation that is two shades lighter than your skin tone. Most goths have a nearly dead look, where their skin looks almost white and very pale. It’s important that you use a good foundation to act as a base for your makeup. Select a foundation that is two shades lighter than your skin tone to give yourself a pale look that does not look cakey or so pale it looks like you wearing a white mask.
- If you have a darker skin tone, look for a foundation that is two shades lighter than your natural skin tone and also buy white makeup press powder to apply over the foundation. This will give you an ethereal, grayish skin tone without appearing like you are wearing a white mask that is very different than your natural skin tone.
- You should also invest in makeup primer, which often contains SPF. Primer helps to prep your skin for foundation and help your makeup last longer. Wearing primer that contains sunscreen will also help to give you a more pale look, as the sunscreen will prevent your skin from tanning.
2 Pick up eyeshadow in dark shades. Though the gothic look may be dark, this doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun with your eye makeup. Look for eye shadow in dark shades like black, purple, blue, and red. Many goths will play their eye shadow color off their lip color and vice versa. Consider how your eye shadow selections might work with the lipsticks you buy to create a total gothic look.
3 Try an eyeliner pencil in black if you are new to using eyeliner. If you are nervous about applying eyeliner or new to using eyeliner, you may want to try an eyeliner pencil first. The pencil is easy to apply and any mistakes can be adjusted with a Q-tip dipped in water or the edge of your finger.
Look for eyeliner pencils in black that are labeled long lasting and non-smudging, as you do not want the eyeliner to end up getting all over your face. This would be more of a raccoon look, rather than a gothic look.
4 Go for black liquid eyeliner if you are skilled at applying eyeliner. If you are confident with pencil eyeliner and want to try something new or if you have used liquid eyeliner before, look for liquid eyeliner in black. Liquid eyeliner usually creates a more defined line around your eyes and will stay on throughout the day. Consider getting waterproof eyeliner if you tend to sweat or your eyes tend to water. This will ensure the eyeliner stays on your eye lids and does not run down your cheeks or get on other areas of your face.
5 Get black mascara. Black mascara is a must for the gothic look, as it will darken your eye area and make you look more vampy. Go for black mascara that will lengthen your lashes and give your eyes an extra shot of dark color. If you are into playing around with color as part of your gothic look, you may go for colored mascaras in darker tones like blue or red. You can apply these tones on your bare lashes or layer them on top of black mascara for a fun, unique gothic look.
6 Look for lipstick in dark shades. The gothic look would not be complete without dark lips. While pure and simple black lipstick can look great, you can also play around with darker shades like maroon, dark red, or dark purple.
You may decide to invest in several different dark shades of lipstick so you can alternate the shades depending on your mood. The lipstick colors can also be used to compliment your current gothic look for a specific day.