In many ways, the best thing about makeup is its versatility. Whether you only wear the occasional bit of mascara or you love doing a full glam frequently, it’s a great feeling to be able to play around with your look. It’s freeing and fun to switch up what color your lips are based on your outfit or how you’re feeling. Self expression, regardless of how you go about it, is an incredible gift. Some of the coolest, most artistic looks are inspired by the goth aesthetic, which is what we’ll be taking a look at today.
This article will cover:
- What goth means
- Different goth subgroups
- Goth makeup look inspirations for all skin tones
- Product recommendations
What does goth mean?
Before we take a look at goth makeup looks, let’s define what goth actually is. To put it shortly, the gothic aesthetic centers around dark colors, especially black, and dramatic clothes and makeup. Goth culture stems from music taste in addition to fashion sense, and it was specifically shaped by the post-punk era. In the decades since it first originated, goth culture has split into different subgroups. There are many, but today we will be looking at makeup looks perfected by Trad Goths, Romantic Goths, Cybergoths, Glam Goths, Pastel Goths, and Casual Goths in particular. So, let’s get into some of these groups’ incredible makeup and how you can achieve the same looks!
Trad Goth Makeup
Trad Goth makeup is what most people would associate goth culture with: a harsh contrast between pale skin and dark eyes and lips. The face makeup is often a powder, rather than a liquid foundation, and it is one to two shades lighter than your actual match.
Image courtesy of Reddit.
Image courtesy of Pinterest.
Trad Goth Product Recommendations
To achieve the makeup looks associated with Trad Goths, you will need eyeliners that are fit for big, bold wings. Of course, a black lipstick is also a must. For the eye makeup you’d like to achieve, we recommend NYX’s Jumbo Eye Pencil in black. This product doubles as both an eyeliner and eyeshadow, which is perfect for tracing and filling in the huge wings around your eyes. For the lipstick, NYX’s suede matte lipstick in black is a safe bet. If you’d like to keep a matte lip, you’re all set after application. If you want to opt for a glossy lip, you can always layer it with your favorite clear lip gloss.
NYX’s Jumbo Eye Pencil.
NYX’s suede matte lipstick.
Romantic Goth Makeup
Romantic goth makeup is a softer, dreamier take to traditional goth. Instead of the harsh contrast of pale to dark, romantic goths tend to also incorporate red into their makeup looks. Something that sets them apart is their choice of red lips instead of black.
Image courtesy of Pinterest.
Image courtesy of Pinterest.
Romantic Goth Product Recommendations
For a dark red lip, e.l.f. Cosmetics’ Satin Lipstick in the shade Smolder-Plum is a great way to go. It is a dark reddish purple that will tie your romantic goth makeup look together beautifully.
Cybergoth Makeup
Cybergoth makeup includes a pale face, like many other goth subgroups. What characterizes them as cybergoth is their love for bright, fluorescent colors. Some also choose to include patterns made up of lines and dots to decorate their eyes, cheeks, or nose.
Image courtesy of Pinterest.
Cyber Goth Product Recommendations
To get a colorful eye look, Maybelline’s Eyeshadow Stix in the shades “I am Unexpected” (yellow) and “I am Unique” (pink), are super bright. If you choose to decorate your face with lines and dots, e.l.f. Cosmetics’ expert liquid liner has a very thin brush for precision.
e.l.f. Cosmetics’ expert liquid liner.
Glam Goth Makeup
Glam goth makeup is not gothic in the traditional sense of a pale face with a stark contrast to matte black eyes and lips. Instead, it combines darkness with, of course, glamor! In goth glam makeup, aspects such as glitter, shimmer, and gloss are mixed with dark colors like red, purple, brown, black, and more to create a statement look. The perfect examples of goth glam can be seen at the 2024 Met Gala: Zendaya’s use of gloss and shimmer along with red and black tones, Emma Chamberlain’s use of a brown smokey eye, and Charlie XCX’s use of a dark lip but soft eye makeup. Another great example of a celebrity’s goth glam is Chappell Roan. Roan often wears dramatic, maximalist makeup that uses bold colors and glitter.
Image courtesy of Cosmopolitan.
Image courtesy of Last.fm.
Glam Goth Product Recommendations
Glam Goth Beauty is a whole company dedicated to catering for goths of all skin tones. They have beautiful glitter diamonds to enhance your dark eyeshadow. Some shades offered are “White Widow,” “Heroine,” and “Amoureux,” which are white, blue, and pink glitters, respectively. There are several other color options, as well as pictures of how the models incorporated the glitters into their full faces of goth makeup.
In shade “WHITE WIDOW.”
Pastel Goth Makeup
Pastel goth makeup combines pastel colors and black into a look. Pastel goths use light pink, purple, blue, green, and more alongside black eyeliner or lipstick to create a contrast. Instead of traditional goths contrasting white and black or cybergoths contrasting fluorescent colors, pastel goths love soft, muted colors.
Image courtesy of Pinterest.
Image courtesy of Pinterest.
Pastel Goth Product Recommendations
One palette with stunning pastels is the In a Trance palette by ColourPop. It includes pastel blues, pinks, purples, a glitter, and a beige for you to choose from. Another ColourPop product that would be great for a purple themed pastel goth look is the Lav_ish Pressed Powder Palette. This palette is full of beautiful shades of purple, and it is perfect for adding a fun color into your makeup look.
ColourPop’s Lav_ish Pressed Powder Palette.
Casual Goth Makeup
Casual goth makeup is exactly what it sounds like. It is a more soft, modest approach to the basic aspects of gothic makeup: dark eyes and lips. Instead of traditional goth makeup’s large winged liner with black eyeshadow, casual goth makeup would opt for just a small bit of smudged eyeliner or a smokey shadow. Some celebrities who often rock casual goth makeup are Rachel Zegler and Jenna Ortega.
Image courtesy of POPSUGAR.
Casual Goth Product Recommendations
For an everyday smokey eye, Colourpop’s “Gone Metal” eyeshadow palette has brown, black, and beige for you to mix as you choose. For a mauve lip, Maybelline’s liquid lip in the shade “witty” is a beautiful, long lasting option.
Colourpop’s “Gone Metal”.
Maybelline’s liquid lip.
Vampire Goth Makeup
Vampire goth makeup plays on the blood hungry nature of vampires. Many vampire goth makeup looks include lots of red makeup around the eyes, or even red color contacts. Some also use red makeup around the corners of their mouths to mimic drops of blood. Many others also opt for fake fangs to truly emulate a vampire.
Image courtesy of Instagram.
Image courtesy of Pinterest.
Vampire Goth Product Recommendations
Pat McGrath’s Mothership V: Bronze Selection eye palette is full of deep reds, browns, and blacks, as well as stunning glittery shades. It is relatively pricey at $128, however, the quality is award winning. In fact, Allure granted the palette its Best of Beauty award in 2019. For a smudged eyeliner look, Stila has a smudge stick available in 12 shades.
Image courtesy of Pat McGrath.
Those are some of our favorite goth looks and products!
Makeup is one of the best ways to express yourself on a daily basis and an important part of many subcultures, including most goth groups. Whichever look resonates the most with you, make sure to have fun experimenting with your makeup and connecting with the larger goth community!
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