I do apologise for the unannounced hiatus., dear readers. I had a lot
of work to do regarding sorting funds and debts for university and am
also organising an event for our city's wonderful Steampunk society, so I
have had to pt my blogging on the back burner. I'm now drafting an
introduction to the Sisters of Mercy which, for simplicity, will be a
text post with accompanying videos for their songs rather than a vlog.
For those who are reading for fashion/makeup/general style purposes,
here was my hair and face-a-me-doo for last night's Danse Macabre, a
monthly night co-run by my partner with the theme of
Goth/80's/italo/disco (I know, right?). It's a brilliant evening. All the makeup aside from the powder was from high street brands at the lower end of the price range, hairspray was the utterly amazing got2b Glued Blasting Freeze Spray. It's the strongest stuff I've ever used, and my word, does it do the job.
I forgot to adjust my webcam for this one, apologies for blurriness.
Foundation: Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation in 100 Ivory
Powder: Gothic Geisha white mineral makeup (eBay). Eyeliner: Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama gel liner Mascara: Maybelline Great Lash
Eyeshadow - MUA Matte Eyeshadow shade 20 (black) & white shade from beautyUK eyeshadow collection 4
Lipstick: Rimmel Lasting Finish in 128 Starry-Eyed
Right, the video was of dreadful quality such that editing was nigh-impossible. I was supposed to receive the new webcam today (Logitech this time, model which promises full compatibility with my system) and... didn't, so in the mean time here is a step-by-step guide for applying the most troublesome, oft-abused makeup in the scene. Like many other goths on a budget, I'm using Stargazer white pressed powder and liquid foundation - you may be using Manic Panic across the pond but I doubt they're much different. Though cheap, this can be used well provided care is taken.
Put. The trowel. Down.
YOU WILL NEED: oil-absorbing papers/papier poudre, white powder, white liquid foundation, translucent powder, foundation/concealer brush, powder brush, concealer (if you're a spotty mess like me), time and patience.
OPTIONAL: primer, liquid foundation in your own skin shade or a shade or two lighter, makeup setting spray
Wash your face. Exfoliate if possible. If you're using facewash then rinse well, if you use cleanser then remember to tone to get rid of all the last smears. If you're using the Oil Cleansing Method (I'll get to that later - it's magic), remember to wipe your whole face multiple times with a hot face-cloth, rinsing each time. In other words, don't leave anything behind. DO IT PROPERLY. Do final rinse with cold water to close your pores.
Got oily skin? Let it sit for a few minutes. Have a cup of tea. Washing often triggers a release of oil, so you want to mop that up before you apply the makeup. This has helped me a lot.
Moisturise according to skin type. Again, give it a few minutes afterwards to absorb.
Blot your face with some oil absorbing papers. You can get these from E.L.F., Superdrug, Boots etc. If you don't have any to hand, grab a tissue or kitchen towel.
If you have it, apply primer and conceal any blemishes. If you have oily skin, a LIGHT dusting of translucent powder afterwards might help here.
Now for the scary part! Put a little blob of white foundation on the back of your hand or a small lid - anything to hold it so you don't have to keep tapping it out of that damned glass bottle. Using your fingertips, apply small dots of it all over your face and then blend, starting from the centre - I use circular motions as if rubbing in moisturiser. You're looking to create a nice even base to build from. If you're looking to have a mask-like effect then that's fine, if you want a more 'natural' pallour (as far as 'completely white' is natural) then you'll want to blend out to your ears and down to your neck - anywhere that's exposed.
That looks rubbish, doesn't it?! Don't worry, it's just the base. You want to leave this to dry.
Grab your foundation brush, pick up a little more liquid foundation and start blending carefully over your face, starting from the centre and working outwards. Blend out streaks and pay attention to any areas particularly prone to redness. Use small amounts of foundation each time.
Continue like this until you reach your desired level of whiteness, then set with a dusting of white powder and some setting spray (if you have it).
For a 'pale but not dead' look, you can do step 8 with a mixture of white foundations and your natural tone - I keep some of this mixed up in a little pot for those occasions when 'sheet' may not be an acceptable look.
You're done! Yes, that took a bit longer than your average foundation application, but if you rush it will look dreadful. If you are using a cheap brand then remember to check it every so often for signs of smudging and creasing, but this should have been minimised.
[UPDATE: Here's a video tutorial showing the most popular way to add paleness as in step 10.]
I'm here at last and I've made a video. This covers the absolute basics of applying pencil, liquid and gel liner - where it goes, how best to apply and how to do one form of basic cat-like eye. No more, no less; this one's for the beginners. Don't worry about the rubbish focus at the start, the camera was adjusted for close-ups so you can see what I'm doing.
A bit more on eyeliner types:
PENCIL: Also called Kohl. This is your absolute basic must-have, great for touch-ups, colouring one's waterlines and creating smoky eyes as well as marking where you want liquid liner to go or filling in between lashes. Also useful to keep in your pocket just in case you or your friends need to be gothed up in an emergency (such as when visiting nurseries - kids love odd-looking people and all goth recruiters know it's best to catch them when they're young). Most need a sharpener, aside from those 'automatic' twisty ones.
LIQUID: More long-wearing and versatile than the pencil, this also requires a bit more care when applying. Has various methods of application but generally you'll get 'felt-tip' and 'brush' types. Rest your arm on a table or steady your hand against your face to help minimise wiggles. Use light strokes for fine lines and press a tiny bit more (don't hurt yourself, red-eye is not a good look) for heavier lines. Wipe excess off the brush before applying and don't fully open your eye until it's dry lest you get blobs of it right under your eyebrow. A good all-rounder and a must if you want to add wings, dots or flicks beside your eyes - pencil is just too smudgy for this. DON'T GET THIS IN YOUR EYES, IT'S BLOODY SORE.
GEL: The ultimate eyeliner, and thus the most expensive. Requires a separate brush, you decide which you think is best. Good ones are smudge, budge and water-proof, and as stated in a previous post of mine it will stick about even on oily skin. Very good for drawing extra curlicues if one is so inclined, but remember - if you look like you have a skin disease when you're done, you're probably best leaving those out.
Final tip - don't apply eyeliner before preparing a dinner that has chopped onions in it.
[ETA! Chris Chaos, burlesque performer, MUA and moustacher-wearer extraordinaire has done a nice quick tutorial for those who prefer a little definition without having big thick lines. Guyliner my foot - anyone can do this. ;)]
Forgive the dreadfully-lit picture and somewhat daft expression. I'm off to dance the night away and, should my makeup last, I'll have a couple of things to recommend and use in my eyeliner review.
Foundation a mixture of Lily Lolo Porcelean and Gothic Geisha white mineral powders (both in the big makeup list below), eyeliner Maybelline Lasting Drama gel liner (new in today, never used before), lipstick Rimmel, eyeshadow MUA.
ETA: Here's what the eyeliner looked like after a night of dancing. I'm bedraggled, sweaty and tired, but the black has not budged - not a single trip to the mirror for touch-ups required! We have a winner!
So you know what I look like with the makeup I advocate below. It's not exactly 'flawless airbrushed super-HD OMGWOW!' that many advertisments claim but it works well enough for me.
As someone who's been funding her gothery with pocket money, allowances and student loans for a long time, I've had to get good at knowing what makeup is worth shelling out for and what's easily accomplished with cheap, ubiquitous high street brands. Here's a quick list of what I use or have tried in the past and feel are worth recommending, almost all £10 or less (many less than a fiver). A lot of use use a LOT of cosmetics and they can eat into one's budget very quickly, so I hope this'll be of good use.
List will be updated sporadically if anything else pops into my head or gets a strong recommendation.
Hello, hello! Welcome, blaaaa, suck your blood et cetera. I'm here to chew ass, kick gum and write tutorials, but now both the donkey farm and Wrigleys has issued restraining orders I can really only do one thing.
I'm a 22 year old ladygoth from the murky, moist, muddy land of Scotland. I have been attending goth, rock and other alternative clubs from the moment I turned 18, and I consider my demure, plain-dressed days of high school to have been a phase of which I'm glad to have grown out. I now look and dress the way I've wanted to for at least a decade, and listen to everything from Aphex Twin and Bauhaus to Radiohead and Corpus Delicti. I'm far from an expert of 'the gothic scene' and freely admit I don't know it all, but I doubt anyone can really say that.
So, if I don't know everything, what am I writing tutorials on? Basically, everything that's bugged me. The people who forget the golden rule of Don't Touch The Goth. People who apply white foundation like a five-year-old with Snazaroo's trying out their first clown costume. People who 'can't do eyeliner' but clearly have never tried. People who say they want to experience the goth scene but then decide they only like the fashion and keep asking for Kings of Leon at the goth club whilst loudly complaining about how shit all this 80's whineycrap is. YOUR FACE.
It won't all be negging though. I have loads of people come up and ask me if I can teach them how I did a certain makeup style, or where I learned to sew, or what bands I'd recommend to someone who is just starting out. Having been there not so long ago, I know how scary The Scene can seem for someone who's never really experienced it before, and it's not helpful to just write them off as posers and try-hards and the never give them a chance to have fun and develop.
The scene's not dead, kiddos. Welcome in - but please, take note of what others have to say and don't make too much of a tit of yourself, okay? We live in the world of the internet - you have even less of an excuse than the older ones did. GET YERSEL' LERNT.
