Goth Makeup Is Trending—Here’s How To Get the Look

Step 1: Prep Your Skin

Goth makeup typically features a very smooth, matte base, so you’ll want to prep your skin well to ensure there aren’t any dry or oily patches that could interfere with your application. Start by washing your face with a gentle, non-stripping cleanser, then apply your face serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen as usual. After your skincare products absorb, apply a matte makeup primer to help blur imperfections and provide grip for your makeup to adhere to. We’re fond of the Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Primer, which helps control shine and provides a smooth, blurred finish that lasts for up to 16 hours.

Step 2: Shape Your Brows

Skinny, heavily arched brows are a key element of goth makeup (this is true of both trad goth makeup and softer romantic goth makeup looks). But if you have full arches, you don’t have to break out the tweezers to achieve the look. Instead, you can fake thin brows with the help of a strong-hold brow gel and a brow pen or pencil.

Start by brushing a clear brow gel, like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24HR Brow Lamination, throughout your natural brow hairs. Before the gel has a chance to set, use a clean pair of tweezers and gently pinch (don’t pluck) the top and bottom of your brows together to coax the hairs into a thinner shape. Then, reach for a pigmented brow pencil or pen—we like the NYX Professional Cosmetics Micro Brow Pencil—and fill in your brows, exaggerating your natural arch slightly to create a subtle point that sits just above your iris.

Step 3: Apply Black Eyeshadow to Your Lids

Normally, we’d recommend doing your face makeup before moving onto your eyes. But because goth eye makeup typically features a lot of dark eyeshadow, there’s a potential for fallout—and black shadow fallout is pretty tough to miss. As such, we suggest doing your eye makeup before perfecting your base.

Start by picking up a multi-pan eyeshadow palette that has all the shades you need to create your dramatic eye makeup look. We like the Lancôme Hypnose 5-Color Eyeshadow Palette, which contains five color-coordinating shades from icy silver to pure black. Sweep the black shadow onto the outer half of your lid, blending the color upward and outward to create a soft wing shape. Then, apply the gunmetal shade to the inner half of your lid and use a fluffy brush to blend the area where the two hues meet.

Using a small shadow brush, sweep the black shadow along your lower lash line, avoiding your inner corner. Finally, use a packing brush to highlight the inner corner of your eye with the lightest silver shade, blending the pigment out slightly to meet the black shadow along your lower lash line. Once you’re satisfied with how your shadow looks, repeat the process on the other eye.

Step 4: Create a Thick, Exaggerated Wing

You can’t have goth makeup without an over-the-top wing, and for that, you need a long-lasting liquid eyeliner. We recommend using a felt-tipped liquid eyeliner pen for this step since they tend to be a little bit easier to work with than brush-tip liners. Try the Lancôme Idole Liner, which offers up to 24 hours of waterproof wear.

Start by tracing the liner along your upper lash line as you normally would. When you get to the outer corner, use the liner to define the bottom edge of the wing shape you created with your black eyeshadow. Then, drag the wing outward a bit further, so it’s extending toward your temple. Lastly, go back to your inner corner and trace along the perimeter of your tear duct to create a sharp inner corner wing.

We also recommend using a waterproof pencil eyeliner, like the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner, to tightline your upper and lower waterlines. Use the classic black Perversion shade for a bold, dramatic look, or try Love Drug for an unexpected (but totally fitting) pop of color. If you want to create any gothic designs around your eyes to really emphasize the look, now’s the time to do so.

Step 5: Apply a Matte Foundation

Use a damp cloth or a makeup wipe to clean up any shadow fallout beneath your eyes, if needed. Then, even out your complexion with a long-lasting matte foundation like the IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream Natural Matte Foundation with SPF 40. Traditional goth makeup typically utilizes ultra-light foundation for a ghostly glow, but if you’d prefer a more subtle take on the trend, opt for a foundation one shade lighter than your natural skin tone. Take care when blending it around your eye makeup to avoid disrupting your shadow or liner. When you’re done, spot conceal as needed with a full-coverage concealer.

Step 6: Contour Your Cheekbones

Blush typically isn’t a prominent feature of goth makeup, but contour definitely is. The key is to stick with a cool-toned contour to carve out your features without making your face look warm or bronzed. If you need a refresher on where to put contour, we break it down in the article Our Advice on How to Contour for Your Face Shape.

After contouring, set your face with a translucent setting powder, such as the NYX Professional Makeup Studio Finishing Powder. This will help seal your makeup into place and ensure a shine-free matte finish.

Step 7: Swipe on Dark Lipstick

At this point, the only thing you really need to do to complete your goth makeup look is swipe on a dark, vampy lipstick. Trad goth makeup can be worn with black or dark red lipstick—for this look, we’re going a little bit of both. Start by overlining your lips with the NYX Professional Makeup Line Loud Vegan Longwear Lip Liner in Evil Genius. Then, use a brush to blend the black liner inward slightly, toward the center of your lips. After that, swipe on a dark, blood-red lipstick. Either a matte or a glossy finish would work well here, so choose what you like best. If you need a recommendation, we think the YSL Beauty The Slim Matte Longwear Lipstick in Reverse Red is the perfect hue to tie together your goth makeup look.

5 Gothic Makeup Looks To Try

If you’re not ready for a full goth moment but still want to infuse a bit of drama into your everyday look, consider giving one of these five goth-adjacent looks a try.

Bleached brows and underliner

This faux bleached brow look feels edgy but still wearable—and it’s super easy to achieve. Simply cover your brows with a matte, full-coverage concealer to fake the appearance of lightened arches. Pair your (temporarily) lightened brows with smoked-out underliner and a matte nude lip, or opt for a glossy black lipstick for a more dramatic feel.

Pastel goth makeup

Pastel goth makeup takes some of the defining characteristics of traditional goth looks—like a dramatic statement eye and ultra-dark arches—and lightens it up by switching out the standard black and silver shades for pale pastel hues. The resulting look is equal parts creepy and cute and makes for a more approachable way to embrace your darker side.

Modern emo makeup

Emo, strictly speaking, isn’t goth—but the dark, moody look does have some overlap with the goth aesthetic. Recreate the rock-and-roll-inspired look for yourself by pairing natural-looking skin with smudged black liner and long, spidery lashes. Rainbow-colored hair optional but definitely encouraged.

Romantic goth makeup

Romantic goth is a softer, slightly more feminine take on the classic goth makeup look. To achieve the vaguely vampiric look, pair a natural matte base with a dramatic cat eye, nude matte lips, and of course, plenty of edgy accessories.

Corporate goth

Growing up and getting a professional job doesn’t have to mean leaving your inner goth behind. Show off your individuality in a workplace-appropriate way by pairing a mostly bare face with a smokey reverse wing. It’s edgy and cool—but not so over-the-top that you’ll risk getting side-eyed at the coffee machine.

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