Do you have a friend or relative who with an appreciation for the darker things? If your not clued up finding that perfect Christmas gift can be a total nightmare. So here i give some ideas and tips on finding the perfect gift for your alternative familiar. Goth's are usually very creative, this doesn't mean that we are all artistically talented but is reflected in little things like the way that we dress or do our makeup. Today i will be focusing on Cosmetics. Before you go spending mad it's important to take notice of what your recipient is going to like. Do they wear dark or bright colours, are they really going to wear that blue lipstick and are they more interested in quality or quantity. Makeup is a great gift for your gothic girl, or guy, here are 5 of my favourite alternative cosmetic brands.
1. Sugarpill~ Sugarpill are a californian cruelty free cosmetics company founded by punk fashion designer Shrinkle. Shrinkle has created a line of highly pigmented brightly coloured pressed and powdered eye shadows that really are to die for. The packaging is embellished with graffiti symbols and bright colours, reflecting the alternative nature of the product. These aren't always easy to get hold of in the uk and can be a little pricey but if you can get it your on to a winner, especially if staying power is important to them. If your girl likes a shimmery goth eye i would recommend the cold chemistry palette which features four stunning shimmering shades. The pallet costs around
£25.00 and can be found on
cocktailcosmetics
2.Illamasqua~ These guys seriously know there stuff when it comes to making cosmetics so any illamasqua product would be perfect for a real makeup obsessive like myself. They have the most incredible nail varnish formula, highly pigmented chip resistant in shimmers and sparkles. At £14.50 a polish these are seriously pricey but are sure to impress a girl who is more interested in high quality makeup. They sell just about every makeup item you could possibly need, one of my favourite products is the Intense lip gloss. Intense lip gloss is a highly pigmented lip product that comes in unusual shades of black, purple and even silver. For a more luxurious present why not give the gift of makeup brushes, good quality brushes really do make all the difference and beauty obsessives will really appreciate this. Illamasqua also support the Sophie Lancaster foundation and sell wristbands raising awareness of prejudice and discrimination of alternative subcultures. All Illamasqua products are cruelty free including their cosmetics brushes which are cruelty free.
3. Barry M~ Needing some small last minute gifts? Budget cosmetics brand Barry M are really easy to get hold of, being available in the high street chain
Superdrug. They make over 100 different nail varnishes from plain blacks to textured and magnetic ones. These are available from as little as
£2.99 but there are often various offers in store. These products are all very good quality and long lasting considering the price. I would also recommend gifting some of Barry M's dazzle dust, these are small pots of glitter and matte powdered eye shadows that come in just about every colour you could imagine. These also make really great stocking fillers. Barry M are another British cruelty free makeup company.
4. Stargazer~ These guys are pretty much the company that got me into makeup as a teenager, if you go into any alternative/ goth shop i guarantee you will find some. Stargazer like Barry M make brightly coloured low cost makeup, my favourite things as a teenager were the mascaras and eyeliners (i still have a red mascara in my collection). These would make a really good gift for teenagers or anyone just getting into makeup, they also make cheap stocking fillers. A product i use everyday is the Stargazer cake eyeliner, this is a pressed liner which creates a liquid liner once water is added. I love this product but it does take some practice with a good quality liner brush. I would suggest gifting the black but there are other colours to choose from, the violet is a lovely shade. Stargazer's pressed white face powder is another favourite of goths who prefer paler skin. Most of the products cost under
£4.00 and are not tested on animals, however some of the cosmetics may contain products derived from animals.
5. Topshop~ Ok so this isn't really the first company that springs to mind when i think dark and mysterious but you would be surprised, Topshop has a dark side too. I recently splurged on a couple of products, the first being the nebula eyeshadow trio
(£12.00). The packaging is black and rubbery and its contents are incredible, black, silver and gold shimmery shadows that are such great quality and perfect for that person in a hurry to get places. Topshop have a new collection of products collectively known as The Damned that would make great alternative gifts. One of the more interesting products they have is velvet lips (available for
£10.00) which is a highly pigmented matte cream available in red, purple and black. Topshop also have a good selection of nail varnishes in desirable shades and finishes. My top 5 shades are; Cloak and Dagger, Plume, Blitz, Velvet Underground and Daredevil, all available for
£6.00
1.Anatomically Correct Heart Cookies- I have always hated those cheesy heart shaped chocolates and lollipops they just look so tacky. I found these delicious looking hand made anatomical heart cookies on the wonderful world of etsy. Personally i would bake these myself but i know there are few others who would take the time to make these. It's romantic to let your lover to know your heart belongs to them even if you didn't bake them yourself.
2. Wuthering Heights- Nothing says be my gothic valentine like a romantic tragedy. Barnes and Noble leather bound books would make a beautiful addition to anyone's book collection. Each book contains beautiful illustrations and each book is covered in beautiful embossed leather. The leather bound classics collection also includes Dracula, Frankenstein and the Complete Tales of Edgar Allen Poe
3. Luv Bunnies- Many people like to give stuffed animals to their lover on valentines day, personally i think it's a little cheesy but here is my goth friendly alternative. Love bunnies come in different colours and styles, some have bandages on their ears too (so you feel sorry for them and take them home). I would also suggest looking at some cute stuffed bats or a skelanimals plushies if that's her thing.
4. Alchemy Gothic Jewellery~ There are so many beautiful pendants from bats to skeletons and just about anything gothic you could think of. One of my favourite pieces is the Reliquary Heart locket, it is the perfect piece of valentines jewellery for someone with dark taste. The inside contains a mirror and an engraved quote although you could fit a good sized picture inside as well.
5. Goth Gift Basket for Her- This gifts takes a lot more thought to prepare than the other's but your other half is likely to appreciate it much more. Find out what her favourite makeup products are, other small items such as skull shaped 
