The term ‘Gothic’ is associated with dark and gloom. Actually, a group of Eastern Germanic tribes responsible for the destruction of the Western Roman Empire were known as Goths. Later, during the Edwardian era, the Gothic culture was created in literature where the whole concept was given a dark and bleak look. The Gothic culture not only included Gothic architecture and literature but also a unique dressing style. Goths have a particular style of clothing which is rich and stylish. Gothic attire includes corsets, laces, gowns and jackets made of velvet and velor, and are available in a wide variety of colors including black, gray, green, blue, etc. However, no attire is complete without makeup and Gothic makeup is no different.
Gothic makeup constitutes of a very light and pale skin, dark eyes and lips. People generally associate black with goth and believe that black is the only color to be used for Gothic makeup. However, this is not true and Gothic makeup can include other dark colors too. While doing Gothic makeup, it is extremely important to have lots of time and patience. One wrong move can ruin the entire look.
1. Skin Care
The most important thing before starting any makeup is to clean up the face. Gothic makeup is very heavy and may harm the skin if it is applied on an unclean face. Clean your face thoroughly and apply a moisturizer.
2. Foundation
The foundation has to be chosen carefully. As Gothic makeup constitutes of a light skin, you should go for a foundation that is two times lighter than your original skin tone. Applying the foundation properly is also very important. It is necessary that you spread the foundation evenly all over your face, and also on the neck and hands.
3. Eye Makeup
Eyes are the main highlight in Gothic makeup and should be done with utmost care. The eyes should be done in such a way that it accentuates the effect of the whole face. First, one should apply a dark eye shadow using colors like burgundy, deep blue, brown, dark green, purple, etc. Apply the same eye shadow to the lower eye lid and a lighter shade of the same color on the inner corner of the eye.
The eye makeup cannot be complete without applying eyeliner. The most common color used in Gothic makeup is black. You can either use a liquid eyeliner or a dark pencil liner and draw a thin, sharp and straight line to define the shape of your eye. You can also use an eyeliner that is available in colors like white, red, blue, green, purple, etc. If you do not want to go with the conventional style, you can be creative and make a design on your eyes that gives a dramatic effect to your Gothic look. It is also necessary to have well-groomed and neat brows. Darken it with a black eyebrow pencil and do not forget to apply mascara on the upper and lower eyelids.
4. Lip Makeup
The makeup of the lips, just like the eyes should be elaborate. Choose a dark lipstick and a matching lip liner. Carefully outline the lips with the lip liner and fill the inside with lipstick, preferably with a brush. Colors like blood red, burgundy or wine colors are normally used in Gothic makeup. One should never use black color on the lips.
5. Blush
Blush should be avoided in Gothic make up as it would negate the pale effect of the skin. However, there are people who use beige or rouge blush shades to enhance the cheekbones.
It is important to remember that practice is essential for a person to become a master in Gothic makeup. These tips are not specific rules that one has to follow while doing Gothic makeup. But one can definitely experiment with colors and styles, and can be quite innovative to create a Gothic effect.
