Special Event Goth Maintence

So I'm sure you'll remember when I wrote a post on my 'Goth Maintenance' i.e. what and how I tend to keep up my appearance. However, my post tended to consist of 'well I don't dye my hair often enough and my nail polish is almost always chipped....'
But, with that in mind I actually do try to put in a little extra effort around special events, mainly because this makes them feel even more important and exciting. Also, who doesn't love a luxe spa day? It certainly does help blast away the cobwebs from my mind and body both literally and figuratively and can help me feel less blah in general.

So, when it comes to very special events such as balls, formal events, concerts and other After Dark events, what do I prefer to do to get ready?

If I need to I'll try to touch up or re dye my hair a day or so before, as often my hair frequently is in a state of faded unkempt. In fact, I think I only ever seem to touch up my hair before special events... ahem...

I prefer to at least have an idea for an outfit in mind at least a day before, as my room is every kind of messy and I sometimes really struggle to find my clothes and be organised in that department. I also often need to wear my shoes around the house for a few hours in the approaching days so my poor feet can be ready for the pain. (I have terrible feet and bad ankles. I almost always get aching feet when I wear heels. Like, without fail). Having an idea of an outfit can also help me decide what makeup and accessories to wear as well, and how much time I'll need to get that in order. (Sometimes it takes me two hours for hair and makeup alone if I do the whole curled lashes, glitter, rhinestones etc. etc. Eg. This makeup look took about an hour.....)

If I'm feeling really patient I'll paint my nails, which for me is a coat of clear, two coats of colour and then another coat of clear, with up to ten minutes drying time between each coat. That can take long while and I hate smudged nails, especially caused by impatience and cheap stingy polish. However, it really does tie in the look to be more polished. Lazy-Goth alert! Sometimes I am too lazy to remove my old chipping nail polish so I'll just paint on a lick of colour over than and hope no one notices! However, here we are going for luxe, and that is not luxe.

If I have the time on the day, I like to have a bath. I'll most likely have a shower the night before, and wash my hair then, but on the day I like to set aside an hour or so and have a good soak. Preferably with a Lush bath bomb or bath melt...! Of course, this does increase both the cost and time of my special event, so for example, if I have university during the day or other activities and am feeling tired or rushed I will sometimes skip the bath altogether and just have a shower. During this time I'll probably de-forest my legs, wash down with soap or shower gel (obviously a necessary step), and smooth on some moisturiser on my chronically bad dry skin. I prefer to wash my face in the shower, but I NEVER have more than one shower or bath a day (living in drought for ten years+ does this to you), so in that case I'll use the sink. Hopefully I'll use a face mask as well, because, well, they're nice!

Most likely I'll groom my eyebrows, which can get very messy and unruly even at the best of times. One I do try to do on a regular basis is tweeze my eyebrows, as they are naturally very dark and grow at an alarming rate.

I try to eat something decent and healthy before heading out, especially if alcohol is going to be consumed. We all know the awful 'I've had too much to drink now I need some food but there's nothing open except grease-ball takeaways' situation.....

Once I've eaten something I'll probably begin my makeup. I actually prefer to do my makeup while being half dressed, i.e. wearing stockings, underwear and a singlet, as frequently powder and other product can spill and spoil your clothes. You just need to be careful about putting on clothes over your head, as makeup can be ruined by the fabric. Button ups are a good option, but don't let this dictate your outfit choice. After all but shoes and corset is on I'll do up my hair, generally in something low maintenance and messy as I'm pretty rubbish about doing touch ups/restyling. Once I am satisfied with my hair I'll put on shoes and my corset (Remember shoes first, then corset. Let's make that our mantra!) and theoretically will be ready to head out the door and enjoy the night!


Hope you enjoyed!
xxx Lilly