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Dramatic Makeup Styles
by Allison Boelcke
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Overview
Some women use makeup to camouflage imperfections or enhance their favorite features, but makeup can also be used for artistic expression. Dramatic makeup styles are an easy way to experiment with a new look, but unlike haircuts or colors, makeup washes off if you don't like the results. Let your face be your canvas and try some dramatic new makeup styles.
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Egyptian
Unleash your inner Cleopatra and try an Egyptian-inspired makeup look of thick, extended eyeliner. The main focus of Egyptian makeup is kohl-lined eyes, but you can emulate the kohl with a cream or liquid eyeliner in a dark shade of charcoal or black. Wear the eyeliner by itself or add a sweeping of metallic silver or gold eye shadow. To apply the liner, start as close to your top lash line as possible and draw a thin line. Rather than stopping at the outer corner of your lashes, continue to extend the eyeliner to your temple. Repeat with the lower lash line, extending the outer corner liner so it connects to the extended top liner. If you want a more dramatic look, trace over the lines to make them thicker. Apply a light coat of black mascara to your eyelashes to finish the look. Keep your eyes the main focus by wearing a natural-toned lipstick or apply red lipstick for an extra-dramatic finish.
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Neon
If you want your makeup look to be dramatic in a colorful way, experiment with neon colored makeup. Neon makeup is an attention grabber, so it requires proper application. Any application mistakes will be extremely visible. The easiest way to incorporate neon colored makeup is to focus on your eyes first. Select a powder eye shadow in a shade of electric blue, neon green or even yellow. Avoid pink-based eye shadows because these bring out any redness in eyes and may make you appear sick. Apply your facial makeup (such as foundation or concealer) as normal, then sweep shadow across your eyelids. To make your eye shadow color pop, line your eyes in a darker version of your eyeshadow color; for example, if you choose electric blue eyeshadow, use a navy blue liner. Apply a light coat of mascara to give your lashes definition. You can leave your lips nude or use a lip brush to apply a hot pink lipstick to continue with the neon theme.
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Gothic
Go for a seriously dramatic look with Gothic-inspired makeup. Gothic makeup is based on the contrast between flawless porcelain skin and dark eyes and lips. Apply your facial makeup as normal, then sweep a translucent face powder evenly across skin to get rid of any shine. Use an eye shadow brush to apply a charcoal eye shadow across your eyelids. If you want to lighten up the look, choose a charcoal eye shadow with some shimmer or even go for a silver or pewter shade. Line your top and bottom lash lines with black pencil liner. Use a cotton pad to gently smudge the lines so they aren't too perfect, then apply black mascara to your lashes. Choose a lip pencil that closely matches your lips, then carefully outline and fill in your lips. This will help keep your lip color from smearing. Use a lip brush to carefully apply a rich burgundy or plum lipstick. To make the look less severe, choose a sheer lipstick or colored lipgloss.
