Go Goth for Halloween!

If ever there was an excuse to goth it up, Halloween has got to be it. Whether you're experimenting with the look for the first time or are looking to vamp up your dark makeup look even more, this is one night of the year when we can all afford to be a bit heavy-handed with the eyeliner.

Finding good quality goth makeup was a struggle in the days when gothing up was a minority pursuit, but now everyone's at it you shouldn't have such trouble. If you're just dressing up, you can always look to the more cheap and cheerful punky brands like Stargazer and Barry M, both of whom have been keeping goths pouting for many years. Barry M's Touch of Magic lipstick (£4.25) pictured top right is a particularly fun choice for halloween, as it starts off a ghoulish green, but turns pink depending on the alkali levels of you lips. Or you could always go for a good old-fashioned black lipstick for the same price.

For the most serious goth, thanks to the 80s revival, there are now more top-quality products at your disposal than ever before. In fact, many of the most popular cosmetic products on sale at the moment are halloween friendly: even Chanel's top seling Le Vernis nail polish in Jade (or the cheaper Barry M equivalent!) is a wonderfully witchy shade of green. And for your lips, we love Urban Decay's Confession and Oil Slick lipsticks, both of which come in a stunning dagger-detailed tube.

The gothiest range of quality cosmetic products we know of has got to be MAC's Style Black collection, which recently launched to bring lashings of emo to the style conscious masses. Its Mineralise Eye Shadow is second-to-none if you want high definition, dark and dramatic colour, while its silky smooth pitch black Eye Kohl is a weapon that no gothic beauty should be without. Here are some suggestions for gothic-themed eye makeup looks to try by Bloodspit at Deviant Art:

Check out Dark side of the Net for loads more tips on styling and pretty much everything you never wanted to know about goth. Includes the lowdown on the 175 types of goth and what to name your baby goth from Absinthe to Zothecula.