Pia Velasco is a New York-based beauty reporter with over 10 years in the industry. She joined InStyle as Senior Beauty Editor in 2021.
Spring and summer were all about dopamine dressing, Barbiecore, and the clean girl aesthetic. Spirits were higher, the sun shined brighter, and life was generally happier. But now, as temperatures begin to drop and the moon comes out earlier, we're leaning into darker vibes.
Goth glam is the perfect way to channel this. After all, a gloomy aesthetic doesn't necessarily equate sadness — it can become a powerful manifestation of power and your dark feminine energy. We're talking smoky eyes, dark lipstick, and lots of black liner.
To better understand what the makeup trend and how to do it at home, we tapped a celebrity makeup artist to answer all our questions and give us some beauty inspiration for the fall. Their answers, below.
"Goth glam is typically a monochromatic and moody look, achieved with heavy eye makeup like liners and shadows, a bold lip, and minimal contouring in a range of darker hues," explains celebrity makeup artist and Ulta Beauty Pro Team member Deney Adam.
Unlike other dark, grungey makeup trends though, goth glam isn't intentionally (or accidentally) mess or over-the top à la Julia Fox. No. Goth glam is more poised, put-together. It's glam, feminine, dark, broody, and powerful.
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"Celebrity influence has heavily backed this trend, with A-listers like Lizzo, Kourtney Kardashian, and Karlie Kloss making appearances at the Met Gala, award shows, and even their weddings with goth-influence heavily stated in their glam," says Adam.
The celebrity effect is real, and the takeover of goth glam over "clean girl" is a predictable next step into fall. Trends tend to swing like a pendulum, so going from the popular no-makeup makeup look to full-on dark cosmetics and borderline indie sleaze is simply history repeating itself. Plus, Adam points out that there's a nostalgic angle to it, too. After all, who can forget the grunge aesthetic of the '90s and early 2000s?
We're ready to give into the dark side, and if you are too, keep scrolling for some major beauty inspo to influence your next few months of beauty looks.
To recreate the model's Met Gala makeup look, Adam says to use a dark shadow on lids and line with a complimenting shade.
"Add a volumizing mascara to further accentuate the eye. Pairing a deep lip in a cherry or mauve shade adds femininity to an otherwise dark look," he adds.
For the best results, Adam suggests the Ulta Beauty Collection Eyeshadow Single in Late Night or After Hours and Ulta Beauty Collection New Heights Mascara.
At this year's Venice Film Festival, the model showed up to a red carpet event with a look described as "exquisite elongated eyeliner and naturally perfected skin" by her makeup artist, Georgi Sandev.
To get this angular, avant-garde eye, Sandyey recommends using Pat McGrath Labs' PermaGel Ultra Glide Eye Pencil and Perma Precision Liquid Eyeliner for super staying power and precision.
"The dark lip makes a statement and can be worn in shades of blue — as seen here — purple, or even black," says Adam. "Choosing between a matte or shiny finish can bring dimension to the look."
If it's about damn time for you to get the look, he recommends using the NYX Suede Matte Lipstick Lightweight Vegan Lipstick in Ace, Uoma Black Magic High-Shine Lipstick in Allure, or MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour in Caviar.
We can't talk about goth glam without mentioning the eldest Kardashian sister. Her approach to the trend is a lot simpler than the prior examples, making it more beginner-friendly for those seeking to simply dip their toes into the trend.
"For a simpler look that still has goth influence, smudge a dark liner or shadow around the top and bottom lash line and on to the lids," says Adam. "Add a black liner to the water line, keeping the rest of the face mild to neutral to bring focus to the eyes."