Today, black lipstick is associated more with the goth subculture and, to a lesser extent, with some heavy metal bands and singers. Bands like KISS and Alice Cooper still use this dramatic style. However, when applied poorly, this lipstick can look sticky and hard. Among Goths, it is the mark of an inexperienced or unconscious person.

If you’ve ever been to an American mall, you can probably imagine such a person in your mind: out of shape, wearing an oversize black T-shirt, with black nail polish and messy, disheveled hair. This tragic teen (or overgrown teen) has given black lipstick a bad name. Hopefully, this person will drop their fad, get fitter, and look better.

So who looks good on black lipstick? And how can you apply it so it doesn’t look like you’re wearing an out-of-season Halloween costume? First, understand the history of this lipstick color; then take my advice.

A brief history of black lips

Some tribes, including the New Zealand Maori, paint and tattoo their lips black. In the Hindu tradition, both men and women paint their lips and teeth with betel, which results in a dark green color. There are many reasons for this type of adornment, from ceremonial commemoration (for example, black paint represents the blood of enemies) to tribal identification.

In Renaissance England, Queen Elizabeth I popularized a proto-Gothic look of translucent white skin with dark, though not black, lips.

Fast-forward (once again) to the 1920s. Color film existed, but its use on film was prohibitively expensive, especially feature films. Many movie actresses, like Clara Bow, wore black lipstick on set to accentuate the curve of their lips. This led to the popularity of very dark red lips. Many women, however, opted for a more natural look, as advertised by Tangee and other companies.

In the 1950s, B-to-Z-Grade horror movies occasionally used dark lipstick on temptresses. Vampira, a 1950s horror TV host, typically wore medium-toned lipstick with dramatic eye makeup and highly exaggerated eyebrows. At the time, of course, black greasepaint existed, but its use on lips was not mainstream.

It was only in the late 1970s and 1980s that punk, goth, and new wave teens began inventing bold new cosmetic looks. Singers like Siouxsie Sioux (pictured above), Peter Murphy, and Robert Smith began experimenting with a new, darker look, influenced by punk rock, teddy boys, and romantic poetry. This look would become “Gothic” as we know it today.
Hot Topic black lipstick.

Black lipstick was a component of this look, though it’s not as ubiquitous as we think. Robert Smith certainly wore it at one point, but most photos of him show him wearing black eyeshadow with red or dark pink lips (if he wears any makeup at all). For most early goths, the eyes were the focal point of attention, resulting in dramatic, exaggerated eye makeup paired with relatively understated lipstick.

As the ’80s turned into the ’90s, the goth subculture moved further and further away from its punk origins, resulting in acts like Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails, and the birth of industrial music. The focus of attention shifted from the eyes to the lips; while artists like Courtney Love smeared red lipstick on their faces, goths covered their faces in white and their lips in black. Even “modern primitives” borrowed from this movement, with young women with dreadlocks and tribal tattoos wearing coffee or chocolate covered lipstick to match their earth-toned wardrobes.

Anecdotal accounts suggest that “Goth” individuals predate the Goth subculture. My mom once told me about a friend of hers who, in the mid-1960s, wore all black, drove a hearse, and had a large poisonous snake in his house. It’s not far-fetched, then, to think that isolated individuals experimented with this look, if only in the privacy of their own homes.

A brief user guide

First, some general guidelines:

Try lipstick before you buy it, whatever color it is. Especially if it’s more than $5. Why waste your money?

Bring a friend every time you shop for beauty products. A second opinion, which is not commission motivated (as some sellers are), is invaluable.

Don’t buy something you can’t afford. Yes, even if it is very cute. you will survive

Now, that out of the way. What kind of people look good with black lipstick? Although there are exceptions, here is a general list:

1. People of pale or medium complexion with dark hair. This could be why black is so popular in the goth community, as many goths aspire to black. However, some people with this complexion do not like it. Say you like it.
2. People with very dark skin. Someone like Alek Wek can wear black lipstick, especially in a couture photo shoot, because it doesn’t make her look tuberous or washed out. On the other hand, Alek Wek can rock just about any outfit she wants.
3. Young. Darker lipsticks age most people, except the very young, who seem to have raided mom’s makeup cabinet. In general, black lips look best between the ages of 16 and 25.

Of course, there are exceptions. Some blondes look good with black lips. Some older people do too. But if you are not one of the exceptions, here are some ways to make this look work for you:

* Apply lipstick with a brush. This will prevent you from going overboard with the look. It will also make the application smoother and allow you to blend it more easily with your natural lip color and line.
* Wear almost black colored lipstick such as dark red, dark purple, dark brown, etc. This is especially good if you have a low-contrast complexion, where black will make you look positively tuberculous.
* Underestimates other parts of your face. Wearing dramatic eye makeup with dramatic lipstick ends up making you look like a clown. Pick a part of her face to emphasize and stick with it.

This article originally appeared in the makeup section of Enjoy Your Style.