Emo makeup is mostly focused on the eyes, the so-called ‘windows of the soul.’ This is most likely because eyes conveys emotions in an instant: eye contact can tell you whether or not a person is happy, sad or angry. Emo is all about expression, and the eyes are the best, if not, one of the best way of conveying emotions. Emo’s eye makeup highlights make use of monochromes, with black as the base, to highlight sensitivity and darkness, the way an emo person associates himself with.

Like any other form of makeup, emo makeup starts with the base, before even going to the next steps. It is advised that you exfoliate first, clean the face properly before proceeding. Once done, you may now apply the foundation, which commonly uses a tone paler than your skin’s. Concealers also work like a charm. For your makeup to last longer, use a primer.

Finally, the eye makeup: emo eyes are mostly identified by the black eyeliners both above and below the eyes. Although most people use black, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t use other colors: gray, dark brown, dark blue and other dark colors may work as well, that is if they really suit you.

After you’ve waited for the eyeliner to dry up, it is now time to apply the eyeshadow. Start by painting the upper eyelids black, then the bottom eyelids with the same color. Although, as mentioned, it still helps to try and explore different kinds of colors, for there are others who use glittery colors like silver or pink. There’s no harm in exploring, actually.

After you’re done with the eyes, it’s now time for the finishing touches. First is the mascara. Curl your eyelashes first, or you may want to apply false eyelashes, before starting putting the mascara on, both at the upper and the lower lashes. Afterwards, you put on your lipstick. Colorless lip gloss is an emo person’s first option, so that the attention will not be shifted from their eyes. Although, as aforementioned several times, you may want to try putting on dark colored lipsticks or glittering lip gloss. They also work well for emo makeup. Blush-on is a big NO, because it 1.) shifts attention from the eyes and 2.)  blushing is not really ‘emo.’

Finally, always bear in mind that emo is a form of expression, and it must not be boxed in limited rules. Emo culture has evolved lots of times, and you can be an agent of it!

For example, did you know that there has been a law proposed in the Russian Duma (the Federal Assembly of Russia’s lower house) that aims to regulate web sites about the emo subculture, as well as to prohibit the emo style in schools as well as in government facilities. The rationale here is that officials fear the subculture promotes negative behavior—being anti-social, being depressed, or even promoting suicidal tendencies.

Among the biggest backlashes that emo has faced is that it allegedly glamorizes self-inflicted pain and suicide. From music lyrics to the MySpace profile pictures of self-proclaimed emos, there is a lot of depictions of this sort of thing. That is why there have been many concerned with the kind of attitudes and sensibilities promoted by the subculture.

In general, there seem to be many who have negative perspectives toward emos and what they represent. This is especially true when it comes to emo imagery. An example is the predominance of black in visuals relating to the emo culture, images that are also sometimes infused with red for blood.  There are also other graphic images that show bloody wrists, self-mutilation, and objects like teddy bears hanging themselves.

Today, we have the kinds of stereotypes that link such imagery to the people who tag themselves with the emo label. When some people see a guy with side-swept bangs, they go, “Oh, he’s definitely an emo. Probably slashes his wrists in the bathroom at night.” In a way, this can be a negative perception about people, especially those people who simply emulate emo fashion instead of emo sensibilities.

Of course, supporters of the subculture will be quick to defend it. Many really are not into slashing their wrists, nor do they have suicidal tendencies. Many simply gravitate towards emo because of how it is geared towards a particular type of expression. Many are drawn into the subculture because of its treatment of emotional devastation, a necessary release for many advocates of emo.

Aside from those issues on subculture, there have also been other issues that are related to emo’s apparent gender bias, especially when it comes to the emo music scene. Emo music has generally featured the pangs of a male with a bone to pick against a woman. While it can be argued that both genders appreciate the songs regardless of the subject, many contest that there have been many emo songs with anti-woman sentiments in them.

Clearly, there is a wide variety of reactions to the subculture we call emo. It takes a lot of hits regardless of what aspect we look at—the appearance, the style, the music, and the actions commonly associated to the culture. There is an undeniable social stigma attached with the label, and it will continue to be controversial for many years to come.

What about you? What do you think about these reactions to the emo way of life? Are they justified, or is there a lack of understanding surrounding emo? Comment away, and be heard.

With every generation of young people, the number of subcultures the media and, by extension, the public fixates its attention upon. There were the hippies who had risen during the 60s with their “love and peace” ethos. There were the kids who got on to rock music through groups like KISS or Black Sabbath. Our generation has the emo kids.

What do they all have in common? Bad press from the media or every other subculture.

Like some fads, the emo or “emotional” subculture was born from the musical style known as emotional hardcore. It can be seen in the lyrics of certain songs as the major theme is melodic musicianship and expressive, often confessional, lyrics. As the style evolved, as music does, it began taking cues from indie rock and pop punk until it broke into the mainstream around the 2000s.

So with the breaking out of mascara among guys, so came the stereotypes of the whole fashion. Both genders wear skinny jeans in bright colors and tight t-shirts, either black or bearing the logos of emo bands like Dashboard Confessional or My Chemical Romance. Popular hairstyles, there’s long side-swept bangs, sometimes covering either both eyes or one eye. Accessories they favor are black horn-rimmed glasses, studded belts and black wristbands, while they prefer the Converse or Vans brand of shoes.

As the style spread to younger teenagers, the style has become darker, with long bangs and emphasis on the color black replacing the other colors. The stereotype included being sensitive, shy and angst-ridden. Not bad things usually, but the emo stereotype had also grown to include depression, self-injury and suicide.

Also criticized was the androcentrism, the practice of putting men and the masculine point of view as the center of the world. Many of the songs are about a guy’s frustration and anger at the women who dumped them as well as portraying women as helpless flighty beings. Emotional devastation is the lynchpin to the style.

Then there’s how emo kids or groups are received by their peers. One look at the hair, the clothes or even the music they listen to automatically brands them an androgynous loner bent on self-harm. There are the “juvenial” reactions, a word used by Kevin Lynman, founder of the Warped Tour about how emo bands were received by the other artists. Then, there are the violent reactions. In Mexico, Time Magazine had reported certain groups attacking a trio of emo kids in 2008, leaving the victims bloody and sobbing while the assailants laughed and cheered as they ran away. Then there was the Russian government in Duma vowing to regulate emo websites and emo fashions in schools and government buildings, for fears that the trend promotes anti-social behaviour, depression, social withdrawal and even suicide. Even bands try to distance themselves from the label. Who else can forget about the 10 girls in Dammamn who were arrested for alleged un-Islamic behavior and dress this 2010?

For most people, the humane thing would be to leave them alone in their little worlds. But remember the movies or TV shows where the jocks beat up the geeks (Glee fans, stand up)? Same thing, but on an international scale.

A lot of other bands inspired by the Rites of Spring also emerged, namely Embrace, Beefeater, Fire Party, Dagmaster, Kingface and Lunch meat. They all joined in Washington DC’s movement, the “Revolution Summer” back in 1985 to uplift the spirit of creativity in the place.

There were no definite names on who first coined the term emo, but the emo music we know today is called emo-core, with its core all about being emotional. Despite the bands disliking this new label, it stuck, nonetheless.

With the success of  ”Revolution Summer” in 1985, other bands around the country adapted this new music trend, incorporating different emotions as the music begins to evolve. In the early 90’s, bands like Jawbreaker and Sunny Day Real Estate redefined emo and turned it mainstream.

At the same time that emo went mainstream, other underground indie and punk bands also emerged. A lot of recording companies focused on alternative rock bands and other underground music, spending a lot of cash for their promotion.

Over the following years, emo has retreated, morphed, returned and grew to become something even more than a music genre. The new brand of emo music is a mixture of indie rock’s brilliance and hardcore punk’s fervor and aggression, albeit a little milder and smoother melodies, even the more ‘yearning’ vocals.

The 90’s was also the year when their fashion statements begin to take shape: a lot of people are now into jet black hair and tight wear, add the black makeup they wear all over their faces.

As the millennium was fast approaching, emo’s fame skyrocketed even more: a lot of recording companies are now looking into the genre’s marketability. It is at this era that emo music really flourished, and has shown a lot of changes.  Bands like Story of the Year, Simple plan, Fallout boy, My Chemical Romance and many others had their shares of chart-topping songs.

With emo music being redefined by the artists, the emo culture is being redefined as well. Instead of being just plain emotional, now emo is associated by self-mutilation, angst and suicide, which is the tendency of the people within that culture.

From a movement to oust violent punk music back in the 80’s, to people who cut themselves with a razorblade, the definition of emo has gone a long way. Which kind of emo do you wish to have?

Let’s listen to some Emo Songs

In case you’ve been sleeping under a rock or haven’t had the pleasure yet of experiencing the magic of Emo music, Emo is a special style of rock music which is typically characterized by an expressive and confessional type of lyrics. Emo songs have been around since the mid 1980s where it originated in Washington D.C. and was originally known as Emotional Hardcore or Emocore. The style and sound has changed over the past few decades resulting in a unique blend of pop punk and indie rock. By the mid 90s a number of Emo bands emerged and several indie record labels began to embrace and focus on it.

In the early 2000s Emo became mainstream with bands like Jimmy Eat World and Dashboard Confessional reaching platinum sales status. A subgenre called Screamo emerged.

So what is Emo really all about? Call it punk, rock, whatever, it’s a form of self expression with true emotion behind it. It’s an emotional state of mind. The word ‘Emo’ is short of Emotional. It’s not just about the music, there’s a whole culture behind it. Common expressions of Emo are tight fitting pants, dyed black or dark hair covering the face. Emo is all about being comfortable with oneself and expressing your feelings with emotion.

Emo is not without its haters. Many people believe that Emo is about being suicidal, depressed and angry. Those that embrace Emo will tell you that it’s a genuine state of being and that there is nothing false or negative about it. This site aims to be the definitive resource for Emo fans and those wanting to find out more about the interesting world of Emo.

Welcome to the world of Emo Songs. On this site we’ll be sharing the latest Emo Songs, bands, videos as well as up to date Emo news. Whether you’re a fan of Emo or want to learn more about it, EmoSongs.com is the place for you.