woman with maroon hair, goth makeup and clothing

Goth Makeup For Beginners

Goth makeup can look intimidating when you’re scrolling through dramatic black lipstick, razor-sharp eyeliner, smoky eyes, and elaborate face makeup online. But here’s the secret: you don’t need to master a complicated makeup routine to start wearing goth makeup. Goth beauty is all about self-expression, and your version can be as subtle, dramatic, colorful, or completely black as you want.

Whether you’re brand new to alternative makeup or simply want to bring a little more gothic energy into your everyday routine, getting started is easier than you might think.

What Is Goth Makeup?

Goth makeup is less about following one strict set of rules and more about creating a look that feels dramatic, mysterious, unconventional, or simply different from traditional beauty trends. Classic goth makeup often includes dark eyeshadow, defined eyeliner, pale or high-contrast complexion makeup, and deep lipstick shades, but modern goth makeup has expanded far beyond the traditional black-and-white look.

You’ll see everything from soft romantic goth makeup with smoky mauves and burgundies to punk-inspired black liner, colorful goth looks, glittery gothic glam, and even neon makeup paired with dark clothing.

The best place to begin is with the elements you already enjoy. If you love eyeliner, start there. If lipstick is your favorite part of makeup, experiment with dark lips. If colorful eyeshadow is more your style, there’s absolutely no reason your goth makeup needs to be limited to black.

 

Start With the Eyes

For many people, the eyes are the easiest place to introduce goth makeup. A little darker eyeshadow or eyeliner can completely change the feel of an otherwise simple makeup look.

If you’re new to eyeshadow, don’t worry about creating a perfectly blended smoky eye right away. Start with one or two shades and practice building intensity gradually. The Afterdark Palette from Medusa’s Makeup is a great example of a compact palette designed around monochromatic gothic shades, making it easy to create a darker eye without having to choose from dozens of colors.

For something a little more colorful, the Pretty Brutal Palette brings pink and purple shades into the mix. Color can be surprisingly effective in goth makeup because it creates contrast while still feeling dramatic. Deep purple and hot pink can all give you that gothic effect without relying entirely on black.

If you prefer a more traditional gothic palette, the Bloom + Shadow Coffin Palette offers plenty of opportunity to play with deeper, moodier shades.

Once you’re comfortable with eyeshadow, eyeliner is the next step. Medusa’s Makeup Witchy Liner can be used to create everything from a simple dark lash line to a dramatic wing. If your hands aren’t perfectly steady yet, that’s completely normal. Try making several small strokes rather than attempting to draw one continuous line. You can also use eyeshadow to soften or correct the edges.

And remember, goth makeup doesn’t require perfectly symmetrical eyeliner. Makeup is supposed to be fun, not an accuracy test.

 

Don’t Be Afraid of Black

Black makeup can feel intimidating if you’re used to softer neutral colors. The trick is to build it slowly.

Instead of immediately covering your entire eyelid in black shadow, try using a dark shade along the lash line and gradually blending it upward. You can always add more intensity, but removing an excess of black eyeshadow is considerably more annoying.

A good eye primer can also make a difference when you’re working with intense colors. Medusa’s Makeup Stick It! Eye Primer provides a base that can help your eye makeup look more vibrant and stay put while you experiment with darker and more colorful shades.

If you want your goth makeup to have more dimension, try pairing black with another shade. Black and purple is a classic combination, but black with red, silver, pink, blue, or green can create completely different moods.

 

Experiment With Color

One of the biggest misconceptions about goth makeup is that everything has to be black. Not true.

Alternative beauty has always made room for unusual color combinations, and vivid shades can make a gothic look even more interesting. Medusa’s Makeup Neon Power UV Magic Palette is perfect for experimenting with intense color when you want something that feels more theatrical. UV pigments and neon shades can also be incorporated into otherwise dark makeup for a dramatic contrast.

You can keep most of your look dark and add one bright element, such as a vivid inner-corner color or a colorful liner. This is an easy way for beginners to experiment without feeling like they have to completely change their makeup style.

For an especially dramatic look, glitter can also work beautifully with gothic makeup. The Moon Glaze Glitter Palette and Moon Glaze Glitter Gels can add sparkle to a smoky eye, while loose glitters can be pressed onto the lid for a more intense effect. Gothic makeup doesn’t have to be matte and moody from start to finish. A little shimmer can make a dark look feel more glamorous.

 

Find Your Goth Lipstick

If dramatic eyes aren’t your thing, let your lips do the work.

A dark lipstick is one of the easiest ways to make a makeup look feel instantly more gothic. Black is the obvious choice, but it’s far from the only one. Deep reds, burgundies, plums, berries, browns, and unusual colors can all work beautifully.

Medusa’s Makeup Forevermore Liquid Lipsticks are a good way to experiment with a more dramatic lip because the formula is designed for a long-wearing matte finish. Start with a deep red or berry shade if black lipstick feels like too big of a leap. Once you’re comfortable, you can go darker and experiment with different finishes.

And if completely matte lips aren’t your style, add a little shine. Medusa’s Makeup Cult Gloss can be worn on its own or layered over lipstick when you want your gothic look to feel more glam. A glossy black or deep-colored lip can create an entirely different aesthetic from the classic matte goth lip.

 

Build Your Look Around Contrast

One of the easiest ways to make goth makeup look intentional is to think about contrast.

Dark eyes paired with a lighter complexion create a classic gothic effect. A bright neon eyeshadow against black liner creates a more modern alternative look. A deep burgundy lip with soft eye makeup feels romantic and gothic without being overly dramatic.

You don’t have to make every part of your face equally intense. In fact, choosing one feature to emphasize can often make a beginner makeup look feel more polished.

Try a dramatic eye with a neutral lip, or a bold lip with a simpler eye. Once you’re comfortable, you can start combining multiple statement elements.

 

Goth Makeup Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect

This might be the most important beginner tip of all: stop worrying about perfection.

Goth, punk, emo, and alternative makeup have always had an element of experimentation and individuality. Smudged eyeliner can look intentional. A slightly messy smoky eye can look fantastic. An unconventional color combination can become your signature.

If you’re trying a dramatic look for the first time, give yourself time to practice without expecting it to look perfect immediately. Makeup is a skill, and every makeup artist started somewhere.

You may also discover that the products you initially thought you needed aren’t actually your favorites. Maybe you love a tiny graphic eyeliner detail more than a giant wing. Maybe you prefer purple lipstick to black. Maybe glitter becomes your entire personality. That’s part of the fun.

Try Building Your First Goth Look

For a simple beginner-friendly goth look, start with your normal complexion routine and add a dark eyeshadow from the Afterdark Palette. Blend the color around the outer corner and along the lower lash line, then add Witchy Liner close to the lashes. Finish with a shade from the Forevermore Liquid Lipstick collection for a classic dark lip.

Once you’ve mastered that, start experimenting. Add glitter from the Moon Glaze collection. Swap black eyeshadow for purple from the Pretty Brutal Palette. Try a colorful look with the Neon Power UV Magic Palette. Add Cult Gloss over your lipstick for a glossy finish. 

The goal isn't to recreate someone else’s goth makeup perfectly. It’s to figure out what makes you feel like yourself.

Make Goth Makeup Your Own

There is no single correct way to do goth makeup. The traditional black lipstick and smoky eye will always be classics, but modern gothic beauty can include glitter, neon, pastels, graphic liner, colorful pigments, glossy lips, dramatic lashes, and everything in between.

Start with one feature that excites you, practice until you feel comfortable, and gradually experiment with something new. Whether your final look is soft and romantic, dark and dramatic, colorful and chaotic, or somewhere completely unexpected, you’re doing goth makeup right.

Most importantly, have fun with it. Goth makeup has never been about fitting into a box. It’s about stepping outside of one.

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