Post by ~*~Bella~*~ on Jun 24, 2007 13:43:50 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300]So I know a lot of you aren't into this type of stuff I know a few of you may be and I thought I'd share this with you and a little bit of my own opinion as well.[/glow]
~*~Gothic Makeup and Clothing Tips~*~
Contrary to common belief, gothics do not always dress in black or wear spiked jewelry, although some fit that description. They are simply people who stray away from mainstream society in order to form their own unique style.
Being gothic is a way of expressing one's beliefs through fashion sense, makeup, and clothing. If you want to adopt a gothic look or are looking for some ideas, below are some tips for both girls and guys on makeup, style and clothing. The key is to add your own individual flair and alterations.
~*~Foundation~*~
Most gothic people favor pale skin and use a very light foundation and powder. This "whiteface" look is based on the illusion of naturally pale skin. The average department store doesn't carry foundation for this look. The best choice is theatre makeup which is of better quality and lasts much longer. If your skin tone is dark, skip the white-face look and simply choose a foundation that is two shades lighter than your natural tone.
Always blend the foundation into your hairline and jaw line to avoid telltale lines. Cover your eyelids and lips as well. This will make a great base for eye make-up and lipstick, ensuring staying power through the day or nighttime hours. To slim your face, highlight or sculpt with a slightly darker color and blend, blend, blend. Don't overdo it. Too much makeup is uncomfortable and looks painfully gaudy.
~*~Eyeliner~*~
You can be completely unique with your eyeliner. It's entirely up to you whether to apply thin or thick lines. The stereotypical goth wears thick layers of black eyeliner. Combining colors is common with gothic girls, with red and black being a popular combination. The truth is, you'll find it much more satisfying to make your own style and wear whatever colors you feel comfortable in.
Most people prefer to use eye pencils rather than liquid eyeliner. One advantage to pencils is that they are easier and quicker to use. On the downside, they can smudge and you may need to re-apply it after several hours. Liquid eyeliner is for those with a steady hand and patience. It's more precise, but if it gets wet, it will smear much worse.
~*~Lipstick~*~
Finding the right shades of lipstick can be difficult at your local drugstore. Theatrical stores offer black and true red colors, perfect for the look you're trying to achieve. If there is no store in your area, shop online or stock up around Halloween, when those colors are readily available.
Wear a lip liner to define your lips. You can outline them to make them fuller, or cover your entire lip area, giving you a base for your lipstick. This will add color to your lips and help your lipstick stay on longer.
~*~Gothic Fashion and Clothing~*~
Finding clothing isn't that difficult if you know where to look. Some stores specialize in gothic clothing and accessories such as belts, jewelry, and add-ons for your hair. You can also look at a second-hand clothing store or Goodwill for some real bargains that were skipped over by their mainstream customers.
Popular gothic colors include black, silver, purple, green, and red. Keep your eye out for these colors when shopping. Here are some more ideas to help complete your look:
Black nail polish [glow=red,2,300]Always hot.[/glow]
Chains, studs, or spikes [glow=red,2,300]Kind of overrated at the moment[/glow]
Chokers and silver jewelry [glow=red,2,300]ABSOLUTLY LOVE!!![/glow]
Corsets [glow=red,2,300]Great with long skirts![/glow]
Fishnet shirts, tights, stockings [glow=red,2,300]Always great with band t-shirts[/glow]
Heels and boots [glow=red,2,300]I personally prefer combat boots.[/glow]
Leather skirts and jackets [glow=red,2,300]Blah![/glow]
Long gloves [glow=red,2,300]Great on occasion shorter gloves are much better.[/glow]
Retro band t-shirts [glow=red,2,300]Great! Though becoming overrated lately.[/glow]
Stripes [glow=red,2,300]On shirt sleeves great![/glow]
Skulls, ankhs, and crosses [glow=red,2,300]<3 Skulls and ankhs[/glow]
Trenchcoats [glow=red,2,300]Great for guys[/glow]
Velvet, crushed velvet, leather [glow=red,2,300]Velvet dresses are great![/glow]
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Done badly, Gothic makeup and dress can look painfully stupid. The following are some suggestions for how to do it well.
1. Whiteface should create the illusion that you really are that pale, and not that you have a bunch of makeup from Wallgreen's caked all over your face. Use a good base: not even the most gifted makeup artist can get the necessary coverage from inferior makeup. If you have dark skin, don't try to do whiteface unless you're going for a very stylized harlequin look or are willing to put makeup on all exposed skin areas. Try using a base just one or two shades lighter than your own color, and then put white powder over it. This will give you an ethereal, almost grayish cast.
After spending money on a decent base, take the trouble to apply it evenly. It's appalling how many Goths overlook something so basic and vital to their entire aesthetic. Equally bad and unfortunately as common is the tendency to overpowder and to end one's pallor at the jawbone. Such mistakes are just inexcusably stupid. Don't make them.
2. On the subject of eyeliner, liquid is better, but if your hands shake, by all means use the most expensive pencil you can afford. Cheap pencils go on faint and will smudge after an hour. Do something original with your eye makeup: cobwebs or bat wings drawn across the cheek look silly on anyone over the age of fifteen. On those under fifteen, however, such adornments are sure to attract the lecherous attention of jaded Goths in their late twenties and early thirties who will probably give you free speed if you prove sufficiently pliable.
3. Find a shade of lipstick not everyone else is wearing. Theatrical supply stores are the best for really deep shades of congealed-blood red. Apply it with a lip brush for a more precise and severe effect.
4. Strive for originality in your costume. For those doing vintage looks, realize that both the eighteenth century and the Victorian era have been done to death. The Twenties, Thirties, and Forties are largely untapped by Goths and have great potential. One could dress as an emaciated, opium-addicted flapper from the Aleister Crowley set or pose as the Black Dahlia, a would-be actress from the Forties whose gimmick was that she dyed her hair black and would wear only black clothing; her ghastly mutilation and murder remain unsolved to this day. Also remember that black is not the only color. Deep blues, grays, and greens, as well as blood-red, purple, and ivory, can be equally striking.
[glow=red,2,300]^^^Great picture for the eyeliner and the lipstick looks pretty good as well.[/glow]
[glow=red,2,300]^^^Great example of eyeliner individuality.[/glow]
~*~Gothic Makeup and Clothing Tips~*~
Contrary to common belief, gothics do not always dress in black or wear spiked jewelry, although some fit that description. They are simply people who stray away from mainstream society in order to form their own unique style.
Being gothic is a way of expressing one's beliefs through fashion sense, makeup, and clothing. If you want to adopt a gothic look or are looking for some ideas, below are some tips for both girls and guys on makeup, style and clothing. The key is to add your own individual flair and alterations.
~*~Foundation~*~
Most gothic people favor pale skin and use a very light foundation and powder. This "whiteface" look is based on the illusion of naturally pale skin. The average department store doesn't carry foundation for this look. The best choice is theatre makeup which is of better quality and lasts much longer. If your skin tone is dark, skip the white-face look and simply choose a foundation that is two shades lighter than your natural tone.
Always blend the foundation into your hairline and jaw line to avoid telltale lines. Cover your eyelids and lips as well. This will make a great base for eye make-up and lipstick, ensuring staying power through the day or nighttime hours. To slim your face, highlight or sculpt with a slightly darker color and blend, blend, blend. Don't overdo it. Too much makeup is uncomfortable and looks painfully gaudy.
~*~Eyeliner~*~
You can be completely unique with your eyeliner. It's entirely up to you whether to apply thin or thick lines. The stereotypical goth wears thick layers of black eyeliner. Combining colors is common with gothic girls, with red and black being a popular combination. The truth is, you'll find it much more satisfying to make your own style and wear whatever colors you feel comfortable in.
Most people prefer to use eye pencils rather than liquid eyeliner. One advantage to pencils is that they are easier and quicker to use. On the downside, they can smudge and you may need to re-apply it after several hours. Liquid eyeliner is for those with a steady hand and patience. It's more precise, but if it gets wet, it will smear much worse.
~*~Lipstick~*~
Finding the right shades of lipstick can be difficult at your local drugstore. Theatrical stores offer black and true red colors, perfect for the look you're trying to achieve. If there is no store in your area, shop online or stock up around Halloween, when those colors are readily available.
Wear a lip liner to define your lips. You can outline them to make them fuller, or cover your entire lip area, giving you a base for your lipstick. This will add color to your lips and help your lipstick stay on longer.
~*~Gothic Fashion and Clothing~*~
Finding clothing isn't that difficult if you know where to look. Some stores specialize in gothic clothing and accessories such as belts, jewelry, and add-ons for your hair. You can also look at a second-hand clothing store or Goodwill for some real bargains that were skipped over by their mainstream customers.
Popular gothic colors include black, silver, purple, green, and red. Keep your eye out for these colors when shopping. Here are some more ideas to help complete your look:
Black nail polish [glow=red,2,300]Always hot.[/glow]
Chains, studs, or spikes [glow=red,2,300]Kind of overrated at the moment[/glow]
Chokers and silver jewelry [glow=red,2,300]ABSOLUTLY LOVE!!![/glow]
Corsets [glow=red,2,300]Great with long skirts![/glow]
Fishnet shirts, tights, stockings [glow=red,2,300]Always great with band t-shirts[/glow]
Heels and boots [glow=red,2,300]I personally prefer combat boots.[/glow]
Leather skirts and jackets [glow=red,2,300]Blah![/glow]
Long gloves [glow=red,2,300]Great on occasion shorter gloves are much better.[/glow]
Retro band t-shirts [glow=red,2,300]Great! Though becoming overrated lately.[/glow]
Stripes [glow=red,2,300]On shirt sleeves great![/glow]
Skulls, ankhs, and crosses [glow=red,2,300]<3 Skulls and ankhs[/glow]
Trenchcoats [glow=red,2,300]Great for guys[/glow]
Velvet, crushed velvet, leather [glow=red,2,300]Velvet dresses are great![/glow]
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Done badly, Gothic makeup and dress can look painfully stupid. The following are some suggestions for how to do it well.
1. Whiteface should create the illusion that you really are that pale, and not that you have a bunch of makeup from Wallgreen's caked all over your face. Use a good base: not even the most gifted makeup artist can get the necessary coverage from inferior makeup. If you have dark skin, don't try to do whiteface unless you're going for a very stylized harlequin look or are willing to put makeup on all exposed skin areas. Try using a base just one or two shades lighter than your own color, and then put white powder over it. This will give you an ethereal, almost grayish cast.
After spending money on a decent base, take the trouble to apply it evenly. It's appalling how many Goths overlook something so basic and vital to their entire aesthetic. Equally bad and unfortunately as common is the tendency to overpowder and to end one's pallor at the jawbone. Such mistakes are just inexcusably stupid. Don't make them.
2. On the subject of eyeliner, liquid is better, but if your hands shake, by all means use the most expensive pencil you can afford. Cheap pencils go on faint and will smudge after an hour. Do something original with your eye makeup: cobwebs or bat wings drawn across the cheek look silly on anyone over the age of fifteen. On those under fifteen, however, such adornments are sure to attract the lecherous attention of jaded Goths in their late twenties and early thirties who will probably give you free speed if you prove sufficiently pliable.
3. Find a shade of lipstick not everyone else is wearing. Theatrical supply stores are the best for really deep shades of congealed-blood red. Apply it with a lip brush for a more precise and severe effect.
4. Strive for originality in your costume. For those doing vintage looks, realize that both the eighteenth century and the Victorian era have been done to death. The Twenties, Thirties, and Forties are largely untapped by Goths and have great potential. One could dress as an emaciated, opium-addicted flapper from the Aleister Crowley set or pose as the Black Dahlia, a would-be actress from the Forties whose gimmick was that she dyed her hair black and would wear only black clothing; her ghastly mutilation and murder remain unsolved to this day. Also remember that black is not the only color. Deep blues, grays, and greens, as well as blood-red, purple, and ivory, can be equally striking.
[glow=red,2,300]^^^Great picture for the eyeliner and the lipstick looks pretty good as well.[/glow]
[glow=red,2,300]^^^Great example of eyeliner individuality.[/glow]
