Vampy Clean Beauty: Why Everyone’s Suddenly Going Dark

Each time October arrives I get transported back to my days of watching The Vampire Diaries. The colours of that one particular show so vividly express the chill in the air that a part of us wants to look exactly like a certain 500-year-old vampire, play around with makeup, yet keep it clean. I thought I was the only one until I browsed the web and saw how much this particular look has surged online, and now it has a name. It’s called ‘Vampy Clean Beauty’.

Things Are Looking A Little Dark

The beauty of a clean vampy look is that it has been borrowed from a few of the most culturally relevant makeup. There’s a side of goth, a little bit of grunge, and in between these two extremes, there is a sudden touch of softcore with blush placements and colours that take it to yet another level. It sits right between what Lana Del Rey looked like when her album Ultraviolence was released in 2014 and the eyes of Jenny Humphrey from Gossip Girl in 2010.

In an era when all anybody can talk about is 2016 and the early 2000s, the rise of this specific appeal is riveting for those who found solace in being a little mysterious, and this very look gave them the artistic vision to express it through their makeup.

How To Achieve It

The best possible way to achieve this edgy yet clean vampy look is to remember that it’s all about mixing the darker shades and playing around with them like you would with a paintbrush on a canvas. Here, your eyelids are the canvas that needs the most intricate colour-blending technique of your life, but it’s easier than it sounds.

Step 1: Start With Clean Skin

Start with a clean face. Make sure you’ve cleansed and moisturised it thoroughly because half of the look is just skin that makes you feel like you’re the main character of your very own music video, so make sure your skin remembers that!

Step 2: Let The Eyes Do The Talking

Start with your eyes. That’s where all the work gets done. Tightlining is the key here, and if you want the look to feel a little more subtle, opt for a brown kohl pencil. The aim is to create a smoky eye that is not too smoky, with a slight wing and a sharp inner corner as well. Use a good blending makeup brush to mix in the blacks and the greys. Don’t forget to add a little depth right below your under-eye. And lastly, use a volumising mascara to complete the eye bit.

Step 3: Keep The Skin Fresh

Vampires are known for their pale, cold skin, and yet this look is the opposite of that. The skin doesn’t necessarily have to be pale or entirely matte. A dewy, glowy base is what’s more exciting about it. Opt for a base product that lets your skin breathe. Not overdoing the base here is very important.

Step 4: Go Easy On The Blush

Highlighting your inner corner helps too, and this look also follows the viral ‘anti-blush’ trend, so little to no blush is what is required. A bronzer would come in place instead of a bright pink blush to give you the chiselled jaw of an actual vampire.

Step 5: Finish With A Vampy Lip

Lastly, the lips are where the look finally gets completed. A maroonish-red lipstick paired with a dark brown or black lip liner, perfectly blended into the corners, gives the look the last edge that it deserves.

Remember: your lips don't have to be entirely matte here, just good enough for a smooth glide. They need to be well hydrated but not overly glossy.

Products To Opt For:

Base:Kylie Cosmetics Skin Tint Blurring Elixir Foundation
Eyes:Huda Beauty Pretty Grunge Eyeshadow Palette - Multi-Colour
Eye Pencil:PAC 24H Kajal Pencil - Black
Mascara:M.A.C Macstack Mascara - Black Stack
Bronzer:Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Bronzer
Lipstick:Dream Beauty Intuition Creamy Matte & Smooth Glide Lipstick MAYA
Lip Liner:Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Liner - Midnight Rouge
Highlighter:FAE Beauty Double Dew Highlighter - Beam

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