How Wednesday Addams is making soft goth beauty the new mainstream
Netflix’s latest hit series Wednesday is inspiring the return of berry-toned vampire lips and goth-inspired make-up.
Director Tim Burton’s creepy yet charming Wednesday has been a hit with viewers and is becoming just as viral in the beauty community, with key looks from the series influencing hair and make-up trends.
Series protagonist Wednesday Addams, portrayed by Jenna Ortega, has become an overnight beauty trailblazer following endless TikTok posts attempting to recreate the character’s signature jet-black plaits, sweeping fringe, and berry-toned lips.
Her iconic appearance is the work of London-based hair and make-up designer, Tara McDonald.
“The brief for Wednesday Addams was a look that was cool, edgy and current,” Tara says.
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Creating the Wednesday Addams look
Jenna was a source of influence for Wednesday and Tara valued her input, particularly since she was a teenager at the time of filming, and it was important that Wednesday’s approach to hair and make-up felt realistic for her age.
“I wanted to steer away from the typical goth look – the painted white face, black eyeliner and black lips – and instead introduce a more modern, accessible and believable look for Wednesday that people could relate to and find less scary,” Tara says.
“One way we achieved this was keeping Jenna’s skin sheer; she’s got these beautiful freckles and it was important to keep them, so I would just use this very light, sheer skin tint.”
Tara also preferred matte base make-up for Wednesday, paired with fluffy lashes and a soft berry lip that has since become a lip trend in its own right.
“I never wanted her to look like she was wearing lipstick, so it was about creating this soft goth, just-got-bitten lip that had a touch of redness in it as opposed to black.
“We tried around 15 to 20 colours on Jenna in order to get the right shade before finally settling on MAC’s Nightmoth lip liner.”
Tara blended the lip liner with a balm to create a softer, diffused look, however the lip shade itself would vary from super sheer to more defined and outlined over the course of the series.
“It was all about the lips really,” Tara says.
“For the Rave ’n’ Dance, Wednesday had a heavier eye make-up look, so that was one of the instances where the lips were sheered and didn’t take centre stage.
“It screams goth, but in a way that can be worn in everyday make-up.
“It doesn’t have to be full on, you can just have a hint of it by incorporating the worn-in dark eyes or the just-bitten lip and suddenly you’re Wednesday.”
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Why gothic make-up is trending again
The revival of ‘Tumblr girl’ beauty has seen grunge and gothic-inspired make-up take center stage again, with vampy lips and smudged eyeliner especially popular.
Sydney-based hair and make-up artist Jessica Yang is happy gothic make-up is making a comeback and encourages readers to go out of their make-up comfort zone and try their hands at recreating the trend.
“I always wore deeper lip shades during my university studies and accountant days, prior to working in make-up, and I’m so happy to see the bold lip colour trend making a comeback. I love beautiful, bold lips and I think deeper lip colours do elevate a look,” Jessica says.
“If you’re intimidated by deeper lip colours, I recommend instead using a lip stain and blotting it down, or you can wear it bold but keep the rest of your make-up more natural and minimal.
“Let the lips be the statement of the whole look.”
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How to apply Wednesday’s berry-toned vampire lip
- Take your preferred deep wine or berry-toned lip liner and outline your lips, smudging the lines inwards with your fingers so that your entire lips have a stained berry appearance.
- To avoid the colour looking flat, add some clear lip balm which will also add some hydration.
- For a heavier finish, you can go over the perimeter of your lips with lip liner. Additionally, going around the lip with some concealer and a small concealer brush can give a crisper finish.
Written by Charlotte Brundrett.
