Nails have officially joined the coven. This week the beauty pages have been obsessing over the "summer goth" manicure, the moody, near black polish that Zendaya and Dua Lipa have both been spotted wearing against sun kissed skin. It's proof that you don't need Halloween as an excuse for a bit of darkness, and it got us thinking: if the nails are going full night creature, the face should be in on the joke too.
So here's our take: a soft, wearable "summer goth" face to match that manicure, built from pieces that are as happy at a barbecue as they are at a crypt. Vegan and cruelty free, as always, because looking devastating shouldn't cost anyone else their whiskers.
Step 1: Start with shimmer, not sparkle
Skip the base overhaul. Summer goth works best when the skin stays soft and a little sun warmed, so it's the eyes and lips doing the talking. For a lid that shifts from bronze to green to near black depending on the light, our Multichrome Liquid Eyeshadow in Spookshow is the fastest route there. One swipe, a bit of patting with a fingertip, done.
If you'd rather keep things quieter and more wearable for daylight, the Prime Time & Line duo in Muted Mauve gives you a smoky, dusty lid and a matching liner in one pot, which is about as low effort as glamour gets.
Step 2: Line it like you mean it
The manicure trend is all about intention (a deliberate, glossy near black, not an accident), so the liner should feel just as decided. For a crisp little flick that won't budge even if the day turns into an impromptu paddling pool session, reach for the Infinity Eyeliner Pen. The tip is fine enough to draw a proper point, and it dries fast enough that you can blink like a normal person straight after.
Want something a bit softer round the lash line, more smudged shadow than sharp wing? The Smoulder Eyeliner Pencil in Dark Brown is built for exactly that. Warmer than black, easy to blend with a cotton bud, and it reads more "moody heroine" than "trying too hard."
Step 3: Let the lips do the arguing
This is where the nail polish and the makeup properly shake hands. If your manicure is glossy and near black, a stained, jam dark lip pulls the whole look together without fighting for attention. The Eternal Lip Stain in Grunge gives you exactly that: a bitten, blood dark tint that fades honestly through the day instead of going patchy.
Prefer full, opaque colour that stays put through a festival, a picnic, or several hours of dramatic eye contact? The Air Matte Liquid Lipstick in CarnEvil is featherlight on the lips but doesn't budge, and it plays beautifully against tanned or pale skin alike.
And if you fancy something with a bit of history behind it, the Ozzy Osbourne x Jolie Beauty Air Matte Liquid Lipstick in Voodoo Dancer is a properly rich, vampy shade made in partnership with The Osbournes, for the fans who like their lipstick with a bit of rock and roll behind it.
The whole point
Summer goth isn't really about following the manicure trend to the letter, it's about letting a bit of darkness creep into your look without waiting for October. Pair a near black nail with a smoky lid and a stained lip, and suddenly the "goth" part feels less like a costume and more like a mood you can wear to brunch. Bat emoji optional, but encouraged. 🦇
All of the products above are vegan and cruelty free, because we think looking like the coolest thing in the room shouldn't come at anyone else's expense.
