Style Diary : Emo

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 Emo is a sub-culture that finds its root in both Punk and Gothic fashion though these days Emo refers to a softer choice of Punk fashion and cosmetics.I rudely came across the term when my cousin turned up at my place with neon pink streaks in her hair and I was patiently educated about the concept of Emo.I was fascinated and put my Google skills to test.
I discovered that Emo is a style of rock music typically characterized by melodic musicianship and expressive, often confessional lyrics(Wikipedia).

It is basically short for Emotional and depicts personality traits such as shy,sensitive and touchy.These emotions carry over onto the outward appearance with dark made up eyes,poker straight black hair with bangs, electric,neon highlights,tight,fitting clothes and the quintessential chucks or converse.

Emo is often misinterpreted as rebellious and attention seeking because of its raw in your face style,but nothing can be farther from the truth.Teenagers who adopt it are not looking for attention but draw inspiration from the emotional hardcore music they listen to.


This style is best distinguished by its focus on the eyes and use of bright neon colors.I decided to try my hands on it to see whether it will suit someone over 20(with a lot of help from my cousin I might add).To my surprise I found it really appealing and absolutely wearable(though I politely refused the electric blue highlights suggested).

Here's a rundown on how you could improvise and achieve the Emo look:

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1. Start off with cleansing and moisturizing your face.Use concealer to camouflage any imperfections especially under eye circles.One common misconception is that Emo makeup means a pale face.Actually since the style focuses on the eyes and dark colors the face tends to look pale.So apply foundation like you would normally.
2. Emo is all about dark eyes so start off by applying dark eyeliner on the upper as well as lower lash line , join the two lines together and extend it slightly.Although black works well here other dark colors such as midnight blue, forest green and slate gray add a nice touch.
3. Use glittery eye-shadow on your eye lid and at the base of your lower lid.Try using contrasting colors(silver with blue liner,plum with green liner) to add to the style quotient.
4. Apply a volumizing mascara next to achieve dramatic lashes.Make sure your lashes are not clumped as that will ruin the effect.
5. Finally fnish the look with a bold but sheer lip color to add balance to the face without detracting from the eyes.Blush is not recommended here as it will draw attention away from the eyes.
6. The rest of the look can be completed with straightened hair with bangs falling on face and clothes in dark shades (which does not necessarily mean black).My favorite is a pair of my skinny jeans, an ethnic short ,sleeveless kurta and of course chucks.

What's your take on Emo?