Gothic Eye Makeup Tips

The Look of Gothic Makeup

The pallid skin, the venomously black-red lips, the darkly made up eyes; they're all significant of the traditional gothic makeup look. In fact, without any one of these key traits, the look isn't truly representative of commonly perceived gothic makeup.

Does gothic makeup actually have to be excessively dark, though? The answer is, quite simply, no. While certain elements will always be necessary to create a truly gothic eye look, it's not always so that these elements have to be so astonishing, over-the-top or vampire-like to create the perfect look.

And does the makeup have to be pale to be considered gothic? Again, the answer is no. You may be sensing a trend here. Gothic makeup is one of the strongest forms of self-expression today. It allows individuals to show off a different side, one that may not emanate as clearly through actions as through style. While the traditional look, as mentioned above, does involve pale skin and dark eyes and lips, there are so many looks that can be achieved when the intent is to appear "gothic."

Get Dramatic with Gothic Eye Makeup Tips

When it comes to achieving gothic eyes, the key is to go dramatic. It's not about using as much black eyeliner and mascara as possible, nor is it about piling everything on in a haphazard fashion. Drama is best achieved with a singular goal in mind.

Love the look of rich, thick eyeliner? Use that as your focal point and play it up as much as possible. If you're more of an eye shadow girl, use this opportunity to play with color (yes, color) and bring something unexpected to a typical look. Take a peek at these gothic eye makeup tips for some ideas.

The Brows Have It

Pay your brows some extra attention for a truly dramatic eye look. High arches are key to achieving something that really turns heads. Once you've plucked those brows into shape (perhaps using a shaping kit, such as one from Anastasia), you'll want to fill them in with a dark brown or midnight black brow pencil. Don't be shy or light-handed about it; the key is to create intriguing, shaped brows.

A Brooding Cat's Eye

We've all been wowed by the glamorous cat's eye makeup seen on red carpets over the years. The gothic take on this look, though, is slightly more deconstructed and unfinished.

• Achieve it by first applying eye shadow base to your eyelids.

• Then, coat the entire lid with a pale eye shadow. Shades such as cream, baby pink, ivory or white are common choices, but let your selection reflect your mood.

• If you'd like to add some color to your eyes, don't hesitate to use a light shade of green or golden yellow.

• Next, select a dark shade, such as black, deep navy, smoky gray or eggplant.

• Apply it to the entire crease, extending the brush around the sides of the eyes in a "v" formation and slowly brushing outward and upward towards the brows.

Finally, it's time to pull out the always-necessary eyeliner. Ideally, you should use a liquid formula in black, but pencils are acceptable if you simply can't deal with applying liquids. Be generous in your application of eyeliner; there's no room for timidity here. Several coats along the top lash, followed by a thick line on the bottom, will help you achieve the deep, brooding gothic eye look.

Make Your Eyes Pop!

This trick works no matter what type of look you're going for, but it's especially effective when the rest of the makeup is dark. Apply a silvery-white shade to the inner corner of the eye and line the lower inner lid with a stark white pencil. This will open up the eye area tremendously and allow that dark eye shadow to really stand out.

Eye Embellishments

You may be contemplating using your eyeliner as a paintbrush of sorts and using your eye area as the canvas. All kinds of designs – spider webs, batwings and the like – are commonly spotted on Halloween. However, gothic looks aren't costumes for those who favor that style, so it's imperative to exercise caution if you're trying to stand out in a crowd. Chances are that a poorly or lazily depicted drawing near the eyes will not make your eyes stand out the way you imagined.

Instead, utilize other types of embellishments, such as finely milled glitter over the lids, bright eye shadows to accent the overall look (acid yellow and vibrant fuchsia are common choices) and false eyelashes spiked with silver or gold tips.