The Purple Lipstick Trend Is A Surprisingly Wearable Take On Goth Beauty

Call it the Jenna Ortega effect — vampy makeup is officially having a moment.

After years of laminated brows, glazed skin, and pink blush ruling the algorithms, the beauty mood has taken a turn towards the dark side. Soft goth is creeping back into the mainstream, bringing with it smoked-out liner, spider lashes, the obsoletion of bronzer, and — perhaps most tellingly — deep berry lips. And yes, the Wednesday actor is squarely at the center of the shift.

Ever since Season 2 dropped on Netflix last month, the internet’s been deep in its dark-femme era. TikTok feeds are full of brooding beats: structured brows, smudged eyes, and vampy lips. It’s makeup for the girls who are feeling “a little bit weird this fall,” as one creator put it.

Soft Goth Is Trending For Fall

As the name suggests, soft goth is all about blending traditional goth staples — black liner, dark lipstick, porcelain skin — with softer, more wearable finishes. Think smudged kohl instead of sharp wings, plum-stained lips instead of matte black, and skin with a little bit of shine. But if there’s one product you need to have on-hand for your vampy makeup routine, it’s purple lipstick.

Not quite black, not quite red — deep violet shades give the ultimate statement lip without being too intimidating. From rich plums and oxbloods to blackberry hues, dark purple lips have suddenly been everywhere, and they're surprisingly versatile.

On TikTok, creators are pairing deep purple lipstick with everything from soft pink eye makeup to The Craft-inspired beats. Whatever your aesthetic is, it’s clear that this is the “cool girl” lip color of the season — and brands are paying attention. Valentino’s “Moonlight Crush,” MAC’s “Smoked Purple,” Isamaya Beauty’s “Black Veil,” Clinique’s “Black Honey,” and Revlon’s “Rumberry” are just a few cult-fave shades getting a second life thanks to the trend.

Why Now?

Beauty always reacts to the zeitgeist, and after a couple of years of glossy minimalism, soft goth is the perfect pendulum swing. There’s something deeply satisfying — almost cathartic — about leaning into the moodiness of it all. Especially when the world feels, well, a little chaotic.

Also? Soft goth just looks cool. You can wear a deep plum lipstick to work or on a date night and feel chic — not like you’re wearing costume makeup before Halloween (though, no judgment here). Whether you’re going full Wednesday Addams or just playing around with a darker lip, consider this your sign to step into your inner goth.