With Gothic makeup designs, the eye area is typically of paramount importance. Perhaps you're already thinking of thick, definitive black lines that border the eye, along with dark shadow to color the eyelids. This is a no-fail Goth look, but throughout the years, Gothic makeup designs have evolved quite a bit. You can now see glitter, swirl techniques, and yes, even color. Gothic makeup has truly transformed into a creative and dramatic type of look.
Ideas for Gothic Makeup Designs

Dramatic thick black eyeliner remains a staple of Gothic makeup. To achieve this look, use liquid eyeliner as it creates a smoother and sharper line. It can be quite tricky to apply though, so be sure you have a steady hand for it.

To achieve a smoky look, use an eye pencil dipped in eye shadow with a similar color. For an easy alternative for an equally smokey look, use a small makeup brush moistened with a bit of water, and dab it on the eye shadow powder. Go around the border of your eyes and smudge with a brush for a smoky effect.

Aside from black, feel free to be playful and try out greens, blues, purples, reds, or even white.

Eyeliner Effects

If you choose to apply thick lines surrounding the eyes, this effect will make your eyes appear smaller. The rule of thumb is, the more dark makeup you apply around your eyes, the greater the minimizing effect. If that's the look you prefer, go ahead. However, if you want to avoid making your eyes appear smaller than they really are, don't close the corners when applying eyeliner or simply apply it on half of the lower eyelids.

For an edgier look, apply contrasting colors on the upper and bottom eyelids. Applying white eyeliner on the bottom lids will make your eyes pop out and give your face an overall brighter look.

Eyeliner Designs
If you want to get creative with goth eyeliner designs, you can extend the lines of your eyeliner beyond your lids in swirls, waves, curls, wings, and other designs. You can practice these techniques with a pencil eyeliner first, even drawing the pattern, and when you're ready to progress, switch to liquid. Let your imagination run wild with the design possibilities. You can browse through samples online, or even web tutorials for a wide variety of looks. Push the envelope and translate the different looks into your own.

Eye Shadows

When applying eye shadow, be adventurous with color. Black may be the default color for the Goth look but trends are showing funkier shades of plums, emeralds, reds, and shimmery hues and tones. You can try a stripe effect of different colors, perhaps a rainbow of yellow, pink, and turquoise. Layer the colors for a cat's eye effect. Use silvers and grays for a vampire effect.

Finally, never be afraid of glitter. Lightly apply a sprinkling of glitter above your eye shadow for a shimmery treatment. A cotton swab dampened in water is a great tool you could use. Dab it in the glitter and then apply. Avoid getting the glitter into your eyes by closing your eyes during the application of glitter.

Mascara

Aside from eyeliner, mascara is another indispensable Goth makeup tool. This is another opportunity to be imaginative when it comes to choosing color. You can use colored or even glittered mascara on your lashes. When you have an initial layer of black mascara, apply bright colors of yellow or green on the lashes' tips. If you want to skip the mascara, you can also use colored false eyelashes.

Foundation and Powder

Most Gothic makeup styles feature pale skin. To achieve this look, use a cream foundation in a shade slightly paler than your skin. Alternatively, if you want to go really pale and create a blank canvas so your eyes and lips really stand out, a white cream foundation is key.

In either case, powder can be applied on top of the foundation to accentuate the pale skin. White powder is advised, and can help ensure that your face looks authentically pale like a China doll and not liked you have makeup caked on.

Lipstick

Deep blood red lipstick is the norm for Gothic makeup. Black is also a standard option. However, if you want to be more creative, you can try a blue, green or purple shade and coordinate your lipstick with your outfit. Anything is acceptable as far as lipsticks, except for pinks or other pastels.

Lipstick may be best applied with a lip brush to ensure complete coverage. You may also want to put a coat of foundation on the lips before applying lipstick. It can make a dark color pop more and can help the dark color you choose really stand out.

Practice

The trick to great Gothic makeup is practice. Not everyone can afford a personal makeup artist, so devote a few hours every day to practice applying Goth-inspired looks. Start with pencils and easy to wash-off makeup. Put your vision into paper first so that you have a model to follow. Finally, experiment, experiment, and experiment - that's the only way you can determine what looks will work best for you.