LIP PENCIL IN NIGHTMOTH IS THE KEY TO SOFT GOTH
November 7, 2023 by Cat Quinn
If you managed to squeeze your way through London’s Batcave club in the early 80s, you’d quickly notice a few consistent looks: black backcombed hair, dark straight brows and a sea of ripe, oxblood-coloured lips.
All markers of the Goth subculture – dark hair and makeup – went far beyond trends and represented its wearer’s values and interests, from music and literature to a shared sense of rebellion and melancholy. “Goth didn’t have to be aggressive,” explains Terry Barber, M·A·C, Creative Director of Artistry. “Goth was about a slightly dark romanticism. It was still beautiful, but it had this storybook feel to it.”
Since those early days in London, goth has spread around the globe, splitting off into subcultures like Cyber Goth and Gothabilly, and inspiring countless films and TV characters. Most recently, it’s reinvented itself on screen in the form of Soft Goth: a more casual take on the classic look. This Goth aesthetic is still rooted in the signature deep tones of black, burgundy and brown, but diffused into a blurred finish more in line with the makeup trends of today.
To get the runway-approved look, grab tried-and-true Goth favourites dating back to the 90s such as Lip Pencil in Nightmoth or Eye Shadow in Carbon. Or pick up new Goth go-tos, including the Connect in Colour Eye Shadow Palette: Embedded In Burgundy or M·A·C Locked Kiss Ink 24HR Lipcolour in Carnivore. Use your fingers or a 224S Blending Brush to buff the shades into a soft haze of colour. Then, add a touch of Clear Gloss and a generous amount of attitude. It’s not just a look – it’s a lifestyle.
All markers of the Goth subculture – dark hair and makeup – went far beyond trends and represented its wearer’s values and interests, from music and literature to a shared sense of rebellion and melancholy. “Goth didn’t have to be aggressive,” explains Terry Barber, M·A·C, Creative Director of Artistry. “Goth was about a slightly dark romanticism. It was still beautiful, but it had this storybook feel to it.”
Since those early days in London, goth has spread around the globe, splitting off into subcultures like Cyber Goth and Gothabilly, and inspiring countless films and TV characters. Most recently, it’s reinvented itself on screen in the form of Soft Goth: a more casual take on the classic look. This Goth aesthetic is still rooted in the signature deep tones of black, burgundy and brown, but diffused into a blurred finish more in line with the makeup trends of today.
To get the runway-approved look, grab tried-and-true Goth favourites dating back to the 90s such as Lip Pencil in Nightmoth or Eye Shadow in Carbon. Or pick up new Goth go-tos, including the Connect in Colour Eye Shadow Palette: Embedded In Burgundy or M·A·C Locked Kiss Ink 24HR Lipcolour in Carnivore. Use your fingers or a 224S Blending Brush to buff the shades into a soft haze of colour. Then, add a touch of Clear Gloss and a generous amount of attitude. It’s not just a look – it’s a lifestyle.
Lip Pencil
£15.00
An ultra-precise lip liner with a creamy formula in a wide range of shades, designed for shaping, lining or filing in lips.
Connect In Colour Eyeshadow Palette: Embedded in Burgundy
£24.00
A burgundy-toned 6-pan eyeshadow palette innovated with our most pigmented formula to date. Create limitless makeup looks – from sultry to sophisticated.
Locked Kiss Ink™ 24HR Lipcolour
£24.00
A luxurious kissproof, transferproof and waterproof Liquid Lipstick. Beautiful colour with an ultra matte finish and weightless 24-hour wear.
224S Tapered Blending Brush
£15.75
A brush for the sheer application and blending of shadow, especially in the contour.
From Lip Pencil in Nightmoth to Eye Shadow in Carbon, embrace the trend with shades that have created Goth makeup looks for decades.
Smoky metallic eyes and a rich burgundy lip colour pair together for the ultimate Soft Goth look.
Whether smudged out or drawn on with precision, Lip Pencil in Nightmoth perfects this trend.
HOW TO GET THE TREND
LOOK 1: Go for a casual spin on goth makeup with shades of black, brick and grey – and our iconic Nightmoth Lip Pencil.
- Prep your lids with Prep + Prime 24-Hour Extend Eye Base.
- Smudge Eye Kohl in Feline onto your lids and along lower lash lines using a 217S Blending Brush.
- Press shade On The Cloud from the Connect In Colour Eye Shadow Palette: Encrypted Kryptonite onto your lids with a 242S Shader Brush.
- Coat your lashes with a generous amount of MACStack Mascara.
- Define and fill your lips with Lip Pencil in Nightmoth.
Prep + Prime 24-Hour Extend Eye Base
£16.50
A shadow primer specially formulated to prolong the look of your eye makeup.
Connect In Colour Eyeshadow Palette: Encrypted Kryptonite
£24.00
A smoky-toned 6-pan eyeshadow palette innovated with our most pigmented formula to date. Create limitless makeup looks – from subtle to dramatic.
242S Shader Brush
£15.75
A firm brush shaped for the smooth, even application of powder or emollient products.
MACStack Mascara
£20.25
An endlessly buildable, non-clumping mascara that stacks on infinite layers of volume and length. Now available in Chesnut Stack, our brown mascara!
Lip Pencil
£15.00
An ultra-precise lip liner with a creamy formula in a wide range of shades, designed for shaping, lining or filing in lips.
Use fingertips or a lip brush to smudge out Lip Pencil in Nightmoth for a lived-in look.
Embrace the trend with soft shades from the Connect In Colour Eye Shadow Palette: Embedded In Burgundy.
LOOK 2: Romanticize rebellion with this subtler, smoky take on Goth makeup.
- Prep your lids with Prep + Prime 24-Hour Extend Eye Base.
- Tightline your waterlines using Eye Kohl in Feline.
- Sweep shade Wanna Chat? from the Connect In Colour Eye Shadow Palette: Embedded In Burgundy onto your lids using a 217S Blending Brush, blending up toward creases and along your lower lash lines.
- Tap Lip Pencil in Nightmoth onto your lips for a stained-lip effect.
Prep + Prime 24-Hour Extend Eye Base
£16.50
A shadow primer specially formulated to prolong the look of your eye makeup.
Connect In Colour Eyeshadow Palette: Embedded in Burgundy
£24.00
A burgundy-toned 6-pan eyeshadow palette innovated with our most pigmented formula to date. Create limitless makeup looks – from sultry to sophisticated.
Lip Pencil
£15.00
An ultra-precise lip liner with a creamy formula in a wide range of shades, designed for shaping, lining or filing in lips.
The foundation of any good Goth look: Eye Shadow in Carbon.
Glossy lids give this look a modern, grungy edge.
LOOK 3: Redefine goth makeup with a softer, more casual alternative that plays with shades of black, burgundy and grey.
- Prep your lids with Prep + Prime 24-Hour Extend Eye Base.
- Colour your lids using Eye Shadow in Carbon and a 252S Large Shader Brush, then use a 219S Pencil Brush to blend the shade along your lower lash lines.
- Coat your lashes with a generous amount of MACStack Mascara.
- Press a small amount of Clear Gloss onto your lids for a shiny finish.
- Define and fill your lips with MACximal Silky Matte Lipstick in Smoked Purple.
Prep + Prime 24-Hour Extend Eye Base
£16.50
A shadow primer specially formulated to prolong the look of your eye makeup.
252S Large Shader Brush
£18.00
A soft but firm brush for shading with powder or emollient-based products.
219S Pencil-Shaped Brush
£15.75
A pencil-shaped brush for precise shading on the lid, in eye crease or along lash line.
MACStack Mascara
£20.25
An endlessly buildable, non-clumping mascara that stacks on infinite layers of volume and length. Now available in Chesnut Stack, our brown mascara!
MACXIMAL SILKY MATTE LIPSTICK
£18.75
Our iconic Matte Lipstick is now bigger and better – with more colour, more comfort, more wear. The matte formula you know and love is upgraded to a silkier, smoother texture in pigment-rich hues – from iconic to new. Glide on for maxed-out colour with 12hr wear.
Terry Barber, M·A·C Creative Director of Makeup Artistry, shares his perspective on the Soft Goth makeup trend.
