How to Do Trad Goth Makeup: Step-by-Step Tutorial

Sunset Makeup is known for goth makeup made for bold, creative expression. From full-coverage white foundation to products for sculpting, highlighting, and creating graphic details, our makeup can be used to create a wide range of goth looks.

Trad goth makeup is recognized for its dramatic contrast, expressive brows, sculpted features, bold eyes, and dark lips. Although a white or pale base is commonly associated with the style, it is not a requirement. Trad goth makeup can be adapted to every complexion and personalized through different shapes, colors, and techniques.

Whether you are trying trad goth makeup for the first time or looking for new inspiration, this step-by-step tutorial will guide you through the process.

For this look, our makeup artist concentrated White Colorful Foundation on the highlighted areas of the face, then added dramatic black brows, precise white details, defined contour, and a black-to-red gradient lip.

Watch the complete transformation below, then follow the steps to recreate the look.

Trad Goth Makeup Products Used in This Tutorial

Step 1: Prepare the Skin

Begin with clean skin. If you have visible dryness or flaking, gently exfoliate beforehand to help create a smoother surface.

Apply a moisturizer or hydrating primer, depending on your skin type and preferred routine. Allow the product to fully absorb and settle before beginning your makeup.

Avoid applying the foundation over a wet, oily, or slippery base, as this can make it more difficult to achieve smooth, even coverage.

Step 2: Create the Eyeliner and Brows

Use our Black Felt Tip Eyeliner to create the graphic eyeliner and define the brows.

Begin by outlining the desired eye shape, then gradually build the thickness and extend the lines to create the dramatic shape shown in the tutorial. Working with a lighter outline first makes it easier to check the placement before intensifying the black.

Use the same eyeliner to draw and fill in the brows. Trad goth brows can be thin, sharply angled, dramatically arched, or elongated. Map out the general placement of both brows before filling them in so you can compare their shapes as you work.

Step 3: Create the Outer Lip Shape

Begin the gradient lip by applying Black Matte Liquid Lipstick #39 “Existence” around the outer edges of the lips.

Outline the desired lip shape, then bring the black slightly inward while leaving the center open for the dark red shade that will be added later. Defining the outer lips at this stage establishes the shape before the white foundation is applied around the mouth.

Allow the black liquid lipstick to dry before continuing with the base. The gradient will be completed after the complexion makeup has been applied.

Step 4: Apply the White Goth Foundation

Use a brush to apply our White Colorful Foundation, concentrating the product on the highlighted areas of the face.

Carefully work around the completed brows, eyeliner, and outer lip shape. Gently tap and press the foundation into place without disturbing the black details already created.

Build the White Colorful Foundation gradually until you achieve your desired coverage. Touch up any areas where more brightness or opacity is needed.

Step 5: Carve the Brows and Add a Glamorous Highlight

Activate the white shade from our Water-Activated Eyeliner Palette with a small amount of water or setting spray.

Using a precise brush, apply the white around the brows to carve out their shape, clean up the edges, and strengthen the contrast between the black brows and the white base. Work slowly with a small amount of product to maintain clean, controlled lines.

Next, apply our Powder Highlighter to bring a glamorous glow to the look.

Step 6: Contour With the Goth Palette

Use the deeper shades from our Goth Highlight Contour Palette to sculpt and define the face.

Apply the contour to the areas shown in the tutorial, then blend it into the white base while preserving the dramatic contrast of the look. Begin with a small amount of pigment and gradually build the depth.

The Goth Palette contains three matte pressed pigments that can be used for contour, highlight, blush, and eyeshadow. For this trad goth look, the deeper shades add structure and dimension to the complexion.

Step 7: Complete the Lip Gradient

Apply Dark Red Matte Liquid Lipstick #27 to the open center of the lips.

Gently blend the dark red into the inner edges of Black Matte Liquid Lipstick #39 “Existence” to create a smooth transition between the two shades. Keep most of the red concentrated toward the center so the outer lips remain dark and defined.

If additional intensity is needed, build the colors in thin layers and allow each layer to dry. Avoid rubbing your lips together once the liquid lipstick begins to set, as this may disturb the gradient.

Step 8: Refine and Touch Up the Look

Examine the completed look and touch up any areas that need more coverage, definition, color, or blending.

This may include sharpening the eyeliner and brows, evening out the White Colorful Foundation, redefining the white details, deepening the contour, adding more highlighter, or refining the lip gradient.

Detailed makeup often develops in stages, so it is completely normal to return to earlier areas as the full look comes together.

Step 9: Set the Makeup With Powder

Once the White Colorful Foundation has had approximately five minutes to settle, set it with White Setting Powder #9.

Coat a sponge or powder puff with the powder, then gently press it over every area where the White Colorful Foundation was applied. Use tapping and pressing motions instead of rubbing to avoid disturbing the makeup underneath.

Our Colorful Foundations do not completely set on their own. Setting the White Colorful Foundation with White Setting Powder #9 helps reduce transfer and create a matte finish.

Step 10: Finish With Matte Setting Spray

Complete the look with our Matte Setting Spray for an additional boost of longevity.

Hold the bottle away from the face, close your eyes, and mist the spray evenly over the finished makeup without completely saturating it. Allow it to dry naturally without touching the face.

Matte Setting Spray is an optional finishing step and does not replace setting powder. The powder sets the White Colorful Foundation, while the setting spray provides an additional finishing boost.

Recreate This Trad Goth Makeup Look

Shop all the Sunset Makeup products used in this trad goth makeup tutorial, from the White Colorful Foundation and Black Felt Tip Eyeliner to the Goth Highlight Contour Palette and Matte Liquid Lipsticks used to create the gradient lips.

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How to Create a Trad Goth Makeup Look: Step-by-Step Tutorial