Ombre lip tutorial

One of the most common questions I get on Tumblr is about how I do my lips. So today I thought I'd share a simple step-by-step tutorial on how to get ombre effect lips.

1. Cover your lips with whatever colour you want your lips to be as normal. I often use long-lasting lipstick as the base because that way the make-up looks good even if the other layers rub off. (I also tend to use shades slightly lighter than what I want the result to be.)
2. Line your lips with black eyeliner or lip liner.
3. Gently blend the black line and the base colour together with lipstick. The idea is to create an effect where the black fades smoothly into the other colour. (I often use a shade slightly darker than the base at this point. So if I were doing red lips, for example, I’d have the base a “regular” bright red and do the blending with a crimson tone.) If you want to add a more dramatic effect, do the corners of your mouth darker. For extra delicate blending, use black eye shadow to really make the hue change look smooth.
4. If you want to add depth to your lips, avoid getting the darker colour in the innermost part of your lower lip when doing step three. You can also use a lighter shade of matte lipstick, eyeliner, lip liner or eyeshadow at the same place to create a highlight and avoid having flat-looking lips.
5. All done! Set the make-up with lipstick sealer if you wish.

Extra advice:

- If you want to prevent the colour from bleeding as the day progresses, use matte lipstick to line your lips before step one and skip step two. I’ve started doing this lately and it definitely helps keep the line nice and clean, but it can be harder to make colours pop on it.

- Remember that dark lipstick makes your lips look smaller, so you might want to experiment to find out which size and shape suit you the best.

- Without lipstick sealer this messes up quite easily when drinking and eating, so straws are a goth’s best friend when wearing this make-up. I always carry a bunch in my bag just for this, haha.

Stay spooky!

Anna

Introduction

I'm Anna, a 25-year-old Finnish gothic ghoul. On the Internet I'm commonly known as SpookyLoop.

I come from a big, culture-loving family residing in Helsinki, Finland. Art has always been around me and it has been not just been enjoyed but its makers appreciated. This has clearly reflected on my career choices: I am a trained milliner (aka a hatmaker) and I have just finished my first year of studying costume design in an English university. In the future I hope to work behind the scenes of films and TV shows making costumes.
I have been lucky enough to travel and see the world: In addition to living in Finland, I have lived in the United States (Washington DC), Germany (Berlin), and London before finding my place in North East England. I don't know where I will settle in the future, but Germany holds a special place in my mind and I can see myself there in a few years time.

I have been a part of the gothic subculture since I was 14 years old. During these years my likes and styles have evolved while my knowledge and understanding of the alternative world has expanded. I do not have a fixed look: one day I'm dressed in girly dresses feeling like a Victorian lady, the next I'm wearing a harness and channeling the 80s look. I'm a firm believer in dressing how you feel comfortable, which is why I switch between gothic styles often. I am always happy to share the knowledge I have gathered with those new or interested in the subculture, and I do so on regular basis on my Tumblr.
I am fascinated by memento mori and the macabre. I find horror stories – fact or fiction – captivating and old cemeteries a beautiful inspiration.
I am hugely inspired by the Victorian era, especially its mourning culture and the romanticized “people in top hats on a foggy London street” aesthetic. I collect anatomical jewellery and almost anything with skulls on it, and I have a bad habit of hoarding black lace. My other interests include culture, history, and languages.

My life is not all doom and gloom though: As much as I love melancholic music, you can also find me jamming to Michael Jackson or eagerly waiting for Eurovision results come spring. From more alternative genres I listen to The Cure, The Smiths, The Birthday Massacre, The Sisters of Mercy, London After Midnight, L'Âme Immortelle and Rammstein, to name a few.

In this blog I wish to bring together all the aforementioned subjects in a way that is interesting and helpful to others. I will be posting make-up reviews, tutorials, Frequently Asked Questions videos, opinions, film, music, and book recommendations, as well as things that touch the professional side of my life, like DIY tips.
You can also follow me on other social platforms, all the links to which are on the right side of this page.

Stay spooky!

Anna