Copyright hellomagazine
Breathe a sigh of relief: the era of the "clean girl", with her understated, rosy skin, brushed-up brows and glossy pout, is over. Though undeniably pretty, the pared-back aesthetic loved by the likes of the model Hailey Bieber and the influencer Molly-Mae Hague leaves minimal room for makeup play and experimentation. With the hordes of identikit, "no makeup makeup" looks on the way out, the coast is clear for the return of something more intriguing, messier and darker, with this season heralding the re-emergence of gothic glamour. Sooty eyeliner and dark lips stormed the SS26 catwalks, proving that this look transcends seasons and isn't just a fleeting trend. "Goth beauty has always been about defiance," says the beauty journalist Anita Bhagwandas, the author of Ugly: Why the world became beauty-obsessed and how to break free. "It's saying: 'I refuse to play by your rules of what's considered pretty.'" The makeup artist Rose Gallagher agrees. "Gothic beauty demands to be seen. It's worn to have an impact and to make a statement, worn to catch the eye rather than simply to make the face look prettier." Of why black is back, Anita says: "Gothic beauty feels especially resonant because we've seen beauty drift into such narrow, conservative ideals. Goth swings the pendulum the other way – it's dark, it's messy, it's expressive. It's also cyclical: whenever trends get too safe, fashion and beauty borrow from subcultures such as goth or punk as a way to rebel against it." As opposed to the clean-girl clones on Instagram, there's a freedom to gothic beauty, too. "It has always welcomed experimentation, whether that's razor-sharp liner, bleached brows or glossy, almost lacquered lips," Anita says. Out of the shadows No longer reserved for the subculture, gothic beauty is making its way into the mainstream. The model Gabbriette (goths are always mononyms, don't you know?) is leading the charge, with her heavily lined lips, waterline eyeliner and smudged eyeshadow bringing the gothic look bang up to date, while the Gossip Girl star and musician Taylor Momsen caused a furore when she arrived at New York Fashion Week in full goth finery in September. The signature goth look of Jenna Ortega's character Wednesday Addams is bleeding into the actress's everyday style, and mere mortals are catching on to the return to the dark side, too, with Pinterest reporting a 700 per cent rise in searches for "grunge girl make-up". Online platforms certainly have a part to play in how the Morticia Addams look has made its way into the mainstream, Rose says. "The evolution of social media has made us feel more empowered to embrace the goth look. We're able to find our own communities and take energy and inspiration from them. "I'm more playful than ever with my make-up since immersing myself in the Chappell Roan fandom, because I've found my people, and they make me feel brave enough to wear what I want to. You can open your phone, find your people and be emboldened by the knowledge that you're one of many people who think that look is cool." Goth for all skin tones Although a snow-white face a la Marilyn Manson springs to mind when you think of gothic glamour, Anita notes that the look can be just as wow-worthy on dark skin. "The biggest thing is not to mute yourself – dark skin makes goth beauty even more striking," she says. "Swap out greys and ashy tones for deeper oxbloods, or try the opposite; bleached brows and white liner pop in a really special way on dark skin." For the magpies among us, Anita recommends metallics such as gunmetal, oil-slick greens and iridescent blues, adding: "Don't be afraid of true black lips or liners. On dark skin, it reads as bold, powerful and intentional – and looks amazing with nude eyes. The goth look is about contrast and mood, not trying to look pale, so own it with tones that enhance, rather than fight, your skin tone." The good news for anyone wanting to follow Anita's lead and embrace their inner goth is that securing the goods needed to create the macabre make-up look doesn't require a trip to the streets of Camden or stepping inside a potentially dodgy piercing shop – even the most high-end brands are in on the goth look, with D&G, MAC and Pat McGrath all looking to the dark side. Make it work for work Dabble in the goth look without giving your line manager a fright with waterline eyeliner, or lining your inner eyes with pencil, a la Avril Lavigne in the early noughties. "Waterline eyeliner can be incredibly striking, but it's all about balance," says the makeup artist Lisa Caldognetto. "A common mistake is applying the liner solely to the waterline. "The trick to opening up the eye is to let a bit of product spill into the lash roots and blend it out. Creating a tight blend softens the transition with the skin."
