Binky's Modern Gothic Look
Brrrrr! We are bang in the middle of winter and, sadly, the tan from my recent holiday to Mexico is fading fast. Looking on the bright side, this gives me a rare chance to experiment with a pale and interesting make-up look. So this week I’m trying out modern gothic glamour – a gorgeous look that’s all dark smoky eyes, deep mulberry lips and flawless foundation.
Alluring Eyes
Naturally you’ll begin with your base. Go for the full works, applying foundation, concealer and powder to achieve the beautifully pale, creamy complexion that the gothic look requires. After smoothing primer across your lids (try bareMinerals PrimeTime Brightening Eye Primer), take an inky shade and smooth it over your lids – I used Too Faced Bulletproof Eyeliner Pencil in Black Out, which has a soft, smudgeable formula and boasts a handing blending sponge at the tip. Don’t fret about it looking too perfect as next you’re going to blend more colour on top – I used a dark-chocolate shade called Panther from the Too Faced Cat Eyes Eyeshadow Palette, smudging it over the eye pencil to create really dark, sultry lids.
Multiple layers of black mascara will give you really long, thick, sooty lashes. I used Guerlain Maxi Lash Mascara, wiggling the wand right into the roots and along to the tips of my lashes to make sure each one was covered with colour.
Finally, it’s easy to scatter eyeshadow onto your cheeks when doing smoky eyes, so I smudge on a touch of Clarins Instant Concealer to tidy up any spills and conceal dark circles at the same time.
Beautiful Bone Structure
Yes, I’ve managed to sneak a little bronzer into this look (!) but the object here is to add definition not colour. Blend Daniel Sandler Instant Tan Face Powder below your cheekbones and under your jawline to contour your face and sharpen up your bone structure. Blend in the velvety powder using a big fluffy brush, and you’ll have supermodel-style cheekbones in no time!
Luscious Lips
To create my gothic pout I used a clever make-up artist’s trick. Begin by filling in your whole lip area with dark eyeliner pencil – I used Daniel Sandler Long Lasting Waterproof Eyeliner in Black Velvet. Don’t be alarmed by your matt-black lips as the effect will be softened when you smudge a glossy, berry coloured lip stain over the top – try Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Ruby. The result is a luscious, wine-coloured pout that looks as dramatic as it does divine.
This is a stunning evening beauty look, and luckily the long winter nights offer up plenty of opportunities to give it a go.
Stay glam,
Binky xxx
