Goth 101- Makeup.

-Take note this will be no help to male Goths-

Stereotypical Goth makeup (White face, black lips and eyes) for obvious reasons, may not be the most wearable look. While it certainly does look cool in pictures, outside it can look... Costumey.

This doesn't mean you CAN'T do it, it just means you need to pull it off well, and don't be outraged when some one suggests its a costume.

But lets start simple, shall we? An everyday look that is 1. Wearable 2. Simple (who likes spending 40 minutes every morning doing makeup?)

FOUNDATION-

Either go for your own skin tone, or a shade or two lighter. I can't recommend any good brands, due to how different everyone's skin is, but I use Maybelline New York Fit Me, sometimes Covergirl Clean oil control foundation.

POWDER-

Powder is good. It helps set makeup, and give you a more polished look. Translucent powder may give you a slightly pale look, and I'd suggest pressed powder, because loose is messy. You can also use white powder (I hear Stargazer is good) for the Undead look, but PLEASE blend it in your neck too!

BLUSH-

Blush is one of the fun things. Normally, its so... Normal. You can make it look more dramatic by using a bright red, magenta, or even a tint of muted purple (i think that looks a little undead. So I do that.). If you have stricter rules with makeup, you may just have to stick with one that looks "natural".

EYESHADOW-
Eyeshadow is another thing to have fun with. Blacks, greys and jewel tones are popular, and can be toned down or made to look dramatic. Look at some makeup tutorials on youtube (It doesn't matter if they aren't spooky) to get some basic ideas. I, personally, love plain off-black eyeshadow (Glam eyes by Rimmel London)

EYELINER-
You will need eyeliner. Okay, maybe not need, but you will probably want it. Both pencil and liquid will be handy, and if you can get gel, even better (Easier to use then liquid)

LIPS-
Anything works, really. You could go for black (Try eyeliner with some gloss over it instead of cheap Halloween brands) but red or pink can look nice with a Wardrobe of Doom. I like reds and berries. Tip: Fill in the outer corners of your mouth with black eyeliner, apply red lipstick and blend it in. Looks cool.

That is pretty much it. Makeup if where you can experiment- Even with a school uniform, if the rules aren't too strict. Have fun. And remember to wash off your makeup before bed!

Goth 101- Clothing

This post won't be going into detail about the different kinds of goth. It will simply be telling you how to assemble a basic wardrobe, that you could wear to school/work and not scare your parents/teacher/coworker. This will be for warmer weather. Later in the year, I'll add some colder weather stuff.

Girls:

Some nice (Nice doesn't mean expensive or fancy Shmancy, btw) blouses in black, white, and jewel tones like Ruby, Emerald and Amethyst.

At least 3 Black t-shirts. Pick a style you like (In no way should you be limited to those packs of 3 shirts, nor should you feel the need to get a girly cut with poofy sleeves. Choose what you LIKE.) and get a few. Either wear them the way they are, or customise them (I promise, I'll do a tutorial or at least a list of ideas on that later). Or, get one of your favorite band.

Pants or shorts. At least 2 pairs. Black. Again, choose a style you like, whether it be those awful denim underpants (Yes, I just dissed that terrible tend and do think you should burn every pair of shorts with the pockets longer than the actual garment) or even bloomers. Tip: If you can sew, look for costume patterns. Not only is "Goth" a costume to many, but you can get perfectly nice patterns there. I'm planning on making a pair of black bloomers soon.

Skirts! I'd say at least three, different lengths. Black is the typical color, but I think skirts are the best way to add color. And please, not too short. Those just sicken me. Girls, there is something called "Modesty" and it is not showing the world your butt. So, leave the micro-minis and get some knee length (or above the knee, but still acceptable) skirts. I say one pleated, one pencil, and one poofy. If you like, a nice long skirt, in a light frabric for warmer weather.

Stockings, if you can bear them. I know, its a pain to wear them in the summer. Put they add a nice touch to an outfit. Fishnets would be more bearable, but some of you may not like the idea. They DO have a bad reputation. But I see no harm in fishnets and a knee length skirt. Oh, and if you find spider web fishnets/stockings, TELL ME WHERE YOU GOT THEM!!!

A corset, if you want. Please, wear them over a shirt, not only does it look a million times better and like actual clothing, you would be able to wear it more places. Underbust ones are easier to wear, but harder to find.

Shoes! Some ballet flats and, if you are lucky enough to be reading this in a different time of the year, boots. I soooo want a new pair of boots, but they are hard to find in summer. I wonder why... You can get plain ol' fashion boots, the great big stompy boots, or, my favorite, Granny Boots.

That should get you off to a good start. If you are thinking "But I want to be a Victorian/Vampire/Cyber/other form of fancier goth!" remember, you have to start somewhere. And you can always add your style to my list. Change the jewel tones to neons for Cyber or Perky. Add some Cameos and lace for Victorian.

I also recommend you get a bunch of things in black lace and velvet and satin. Make sure it is good quality- Panne Velvet and satin that will rip instantly screams "Halloween costume." The accessories are totally up to you, but I'd stick to dark colors. Of course, there is no way you can't add baby pink, just do it subtley. Too many pink bows will look Lolita. Which is fine if that is a look you are going for, but otherwise not as good.

And if you are wanting a hat but think everyone will stare, GET THE HAT ANYWAY. Face it, people will stare at you anyway, you dared to defy the norm. Why not have fun with it?

Guys:

Now, this will be easier. Black shirts and jeans. Stay away from skinny jeans, you'll be confused for scene or emo. For the goth look, get some skulls and stuff. Really, goth guy is a lot easier to pull off.

Unless...

If you are going for a more Victorian or pirate look, let me just say I love you. Not only is it a totally awesome look, but it takes a lot for guts for a guy to dress fancier than it does for girls.

While I am not the best person to ask, considering I ever never met a male goth, and I'm female, I do think you could get inspiration from the Dread Pirate Roberts (I order you to watch the Princess Bride! Its not as girly as the name implies, don't worry). Puffy black shirts and pirate boots? Easy enough to wear daily, right? Just don't wear the mask. Don't.

Also, as I have said many times and will say again, LEAVE THE MAKEUP FOR THE GIRLS. You do not need makeup. Makeup is rather annoying to wear, actually. Why would you choose to?

Stay tuned for makeup.

Goth 101- Getting started.

(Ugh, I took FOREVER typing this and then accidently Xed out of the page without posting. Grr.)

So, you want to be a goth and don't know where to start. Maybe you think its super complicated and you don't know if you "Qualify". Or maybe you think all you need is some black jeans and eyeliner.

Both wrong.

Goth really isn't complicated. But it isn't all about fashion. It started with music. If you look up Bela Lugosi's Dead, you will probably see comments that say "This was goth before there was goth". Original goth bands are Bahaus and The Cure and Siouxie and the Banshees. So music is important.

This doesn't mean you can't be goth if you don't really care for the music- Though I recommend looking for some you do like. I prefer Dark Cabaret (Like Voltaire or Emilie Autumn) to the classics. And, please, just because the singers covered their face in white-out does not make them goth. Green Day or anything like that? Pop. If you notice one thing in common with most gothic music- Kinda creepy lyrics.

If you are thinking you need to act depressed to be a goth, HA! Sure, we wear a lot of black and listen to gloomy music. Since when does music describe how you actually feel? If it did, fans of Ke$ha would always be drunk. And did you know, in some cultures, black is color of good soil, therefore not bad? In other cultures, white is the color of mourning. To say that if you wear black means you are depressed, then all those women buying their "Little Black Dresses" are depressed.

One thing you probably should do is read. Find some Edgar Allen Poe or Mary Shelley, or just pay attention in history class. Notice how a ton of gothic clothing is inspired by historic mourning clothing? History is cool, dude.

While we are on the subject of books, get yourself a copy of Gothic Charm School now. You need it.

Stay tuned for fashion and makeup.